HIIT vs LISS
What type of cardio is best for fat loss?
HIIT vs LISS
What type of cardio is best for fat loss?
Sanicola
English 1
Mrs. Wynn
Sanicola
English 1
Mrs. Wynn
The main reason why people work out is to burn fat away. Ever think about what kind of cardio is going to help you do this in the best way? There are two main versions of cardio, HIIT and LISS which one had a greater fat loss percentage and what’s going to be more beneficial to your body in the long run. There are many studies proving that both versions of cardio are needed to receive the best results in fat burning. This will serve as an informational guide into you choosing what version of cardio will be best for your body.
Why is it that cardio is always the main topic when talking about physical fitness? Apparently cardio is the fix all solution to burning fat. When you go into the gym you see everyone on a cardio machine, trying to run or pedal their way to their dream weight. Even though cardio is constantly said to be the best total body work out, when it comes down to actually doing it, the majority is split down the middle. Either you have a strong love for it or you absolutely hate it. The number one question most people have is what type of cardio is the best for fat loss? There are two main versions of cardio; high intensity interval training (HIIT) and low intensity steady state cardio (LISS). HIIT consists of short sprint intervals coupled with low moderate intense work. LISS is purely low moderate intensity work for a long period of time. Now you’re probably thinking cardio is cardio right, well not necessarily. Each type of cardio focuses on a different spot of calorie molecules. Depending on if you want to be a bodybuilder, a fitness model, or just get lean and fat free, your next question should be what type of cardio is for you and how do you accurately use each one to the max benefit for your body?
Before you can decide what type of cardio is best for you, you might want to know a little bit more on what exactly your body does while you are working out. Whether it is HIIT or LISS you are producing ATP. ATP is a quick burst of energy that happens when your muscles contract. The anaerobic threshold (AT) and the lactate threshold (LT) are great tests because it gives a great predictor of which type of work produces ATP. When ATP is produced your mitochondria become more active and the more active they become the greater percent of fat loss will be achieved. During HIIT your mitochondria activity is increased due to the oxidase capacity. Allowing you to continue to burn calories after your work out is over. In LISS you are burning the calories that you have taken in at that precise moment. Once your work out is over you are no longer burning calories. Sound like a no brainer, not exactly. Now let’s dive into the more detailed stuff. A study done by Natio el al from Juntendo University in Japan, found that in rats the enhancement of satellite cell pool caused by endurance training is influenced not by the duration but by the intensity of exercise. (Martinez 2013) This study suggests that HIIT is the optimal way to burn fat. HIIT produces better changes in exercise capacity and hits the AT and LT levels needed to continue to burn calories. What exactly is HIIT? An example of a HIIT workout is 30 second sprint followed by a 3 minute steady run, then repeat 4 to 5 times. Anything that has short intervals of you pushing your body to the max then slowing down to a steady pace is considered HIIT. Basically saying that you have to put your body into an uncomfortable state to use the max energy. HIIT is quicker and proves to be more effective for fat loss percentage than LISS. It helps create metabolic changes and helps with muscle retention.
According to Abbie Smith a PhD and CSCS, “HIIT is the only way to go, if you are not using HIIT you are wasting your time. LISS is easy but HIIT burns calories constantly not just what you intake. It is hard to disregard the growing body of efficacious literature on HIIT, not only for fat loss but also rapid cardiovascular adaptations.” (ncbl.com, 2011)
Just by watching TV now a day you can see that HIIT is the more popular version of cardio. All these infomercials of home workouts like Insanity and P90x. They promote HIIT as the best way to get cardio and loos fat at a rapid pace. As this trend grows more popular experts have more and more studies on the topic. It has been shown that HIIT burns 9 times more fat loss percentage than LISS. (myfitnalpal.com 2011) It is also proven that fat loss occurs through a process called Lypolysis. This process occurs during periods when energy expenditure exceeds calorie intake. (Martinez, 2013) The most important thing during cardio is burning enough calories to create a deficit. Studies show a greater loss of subcutaneous fat with HIIT as compared to those that preformed standard LISS endurance training. (Burgomaster) This means that even after your activity has ended your body will continue to burn fat and give your metabolism a boost.
Cardio can actually help you build muscle if sessions are kept short enough. Any type of intense cardio will cause your body to release the Growth Hormone. Although this sounds like the best way, there are limits to how many times you should have HIIT before it becomes counterproductive. If preformed too often leads to amino acid breakdown. Therefore it is only recommended that you do HIIT a few times a week. On the other hand LISS is still very popular way of getting you cardio. Many people believe that LISS is the better version. LISS is walking or running at a steady pace but going slow enough to be able to hold a conversation while doing it. This helps people feel comfortable working out, for someone who hates to do cardio LISS is the way to go. It’s a way to get cardio but not completely feel like they are killing themselves. A study conducted by Wilson et al. from University of Tampa Florida, stated that, “when you add in LISS you get a temporary boost in weight loss. Subjects lost a couple lbs. the first week and none after that. Their metabolism adjusted and became the new set point. LISS with low calorie diet is catabolic. (muscle wasting)” (Wilson, 2013) Although LISS falls just below AT and LT levels there benefits of LISS too. It is a known fact that you can do HIIT every day, but LISS you can. If you have orthopedic, cardiac, psychological reasons you might want to avoid HIIT. While HIIT can be abused LISS you cannot get enough of. LISS everyday will not hurt you other than being really tired. And studies have concluded that using both LISS and HIIT is the ultimate best way to burn fat the fastest and safest way. Expert Alberto Nunez, lifetime national power life and team 3dmj coach says, “LISS is the best way to obtain your cardio, you don’t require any more than 5-7 percent effort on a treadmill to burn the amount of calories needed. If you combine your training with an extra high intense work out it is just a recipe for disaster. Too much stress can lead to injury and because with HIIT it is so easy to over whelm the body injury is a high occurrence. Making the overall effect reversed. Your overall cardio should be HIIT and if you feel like you need more add HIIT once in a while. Fitness professional Mehdi states in her article that HIIT is not the better choice for fat loss. “Exactly how much does cardio burn, should be the question everyone’s asking. Everything depends on the intensity at which you do cardio and how long you do it for.” (Mehdi) There is an app called Bodybugg that tells you exactly how much calories you burn no matter what kind of cardio you are doing. Everyone knows the longer you do cardio the more calories you will burn. Low cardio is less than 65% of your max heart rate, moderate is 65% to 85%, and high is anything over 85% of your max heart rate. According results on Bodybugg HIIT burns less calories than LISS does. 30 minutes of HIIT will burn 324 calories on average but 45 minutes of LISS will burn 481 calories. That’s 628 calories more a month if you work out 3 times a week. I don’t know but if you ask me that sounds like the better deal. Either way whatever cardio you choose the more cardio you do the more calories you will burn. If you are bodybuilder LISS is a stable in your life. If you are looking to just get lean and loose some pounds LISS is the way to go. Calories burned mostly comes from fat and less intensity burns more fat, as more intensity burns from calories from muscles. This causes some people thinking that they are losing muscle rather than losing fat cells in their body. This is true but while you are engaged in any activity you are burning calories in muscles, your body is in a catabolic state. In many university studies moderate intensity state has been proven to lead to the greatest amount of fat loss percentage. Both LISS and HIIT are good ways to endure your cardio. Each has its own version of burning fat calories, by using both you will never allow your metabolism to settle and you will achieve ultimate fat loss. One might seem better than the other to you, or they might both sound good. HIIT can only be done a few times a week; therefore you need to incorporate LISS if you are serious about burning fat. Brad Schoenfeld an MSc and CSCS, says in his article “ The Max Muscle Plan”, “Both LISS and HIIT protocols can be effectively employed in a fat loss program. Its personal choice ultimately, there is some evidence that HIIT many have less of an interference effect. Also that HIIT can provide better benefits for fat loss. Overall the most important thing is to strike a balance between intensity and duration.” (Schoenfeld 2013) My intensions weren’t to favorable form of cardio and bash the other, even though it may have sounded bias. My intent was to educate and notify you that times have changed and science is proving some good things with HIIT cardio. But at the end of the day it is up to you on what kind of cardio is best for you. Whichever one you think will fire you up more; pick that version because more often than most you will work harder at it. Any cardio is good cardio in my opinion.
References
Martinez, E. (2009-2013). Hostgator. Effects if HIIT vs LISS. Retrieved from http://www.simplyshredded.com
Martinez, E and C. (September 2013). HIIT vs LISS. Dynamic Duo. Retrieved from http://www.Dynamicduotraining.com
Mehdi. (Jan. 2010) Why is HIIT not better for fat loss? Retrieved from http://www.brainmeetsbrawn.org.
Nunez, A. (2013). LISS benefits. Team 3DMJ coach. Retrieved from http://www.3dmusclejourney.com/team-3dmj-php Physiol, J. (2008). Burgomaster KA. Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise, after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. 586(1): 151-160 pgs
Smith, A. (2013). HIIT benefits. Retrieved from http://www.ncbl.nim.nih.gov./pubrned/19909536
Schoenfeld, B. (2012) Both HIIT and LISS protocols can be effectively employed in a fat loss program. Retrieved from http://Themaxmuscleplan.com
Ventuto, T. (2011). Fitness and Exercise. The skinny on HIIT vs LISS. Retrieved from http://myitnesspal.com
Wilson, C. (2013) The Cardio Question: What type of cardio is best for fat loss? Retrieved from http://muscleandstrength.com
