Which Water Workout Burns More Calories?
Energy expenditure and EPOC between water-based high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training sessions in healthy women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HIIT did not produce greater EPOC than moderate continuous training in water.
It contradicts the popular belief that high-intensity exercise leads to significantly higher post-exercise calorie burn.
Practical Takeaways
Choose longer, moderate-intensity water workouts if your goal is to maximize total calorie burn.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HIIT did not produce greater EPOC than moderate continuous training in water.
It contradicts the popular belief that high-intensity exercise leads to significantly higher post-exercise calorie burn.
Practical Takeaways
Choose longer, moderate-intensity water workouts if your goal is to maximize total calorie burn.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Sports Sciences
Year
2018
Authors
G. Z. Schaun, S. Pinto, Aline Borges de Carvalho Praia, C. Alberton
Related Content
Claims (4)
Doing super intense workouts in short bursts burns more calories in less time than going easy on the exercise.
For healthy young women, doing short, super-intense water workouts doesn’t burn more calories after exercise than steady, moderate water workouts — both burn about the same extra amount afterward.
For young, healthy women doing water workouts, swimming at a steady, moderately hard pace for 30 minutes burns more total calories than doing short, super-intense bursts with rest in between—even though the bursts burn more per minute.
After water workouts—whether intense bursts or steady-paced—the oxygen levels in healthy young women go back to normal within 15 minutes, meaning their bodies recover quickly and don’t burn extra oxygen for long afterward.