Which workout is better: super short hard bursts or longer easy ones?
The impact of sprint interval training versus moderate intensity continuous training on blood pressure and cardiorespiratory health in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
MICT lowered diastolic blood pressure significantly (−2.11 mmHg), while SIT did not (−0.75 mmHg), despite both improving systolic pressure.
Many assume high-intensity exercise is superior for all cardiovascular markers, but here, moderate effort wins on a key measure.
Practical Takeaways
Try 8 weeks of sprint training with under-30-second bursts to maximize blood pressure benefits.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
MICT lowered diastolic blood pressure significantly (−2.11 mmHg), while SIT did not (−0.75 mmHg), despite both improving systolic pressure.
Many assume high-intensity exercise is superior for all cardiovascular markers, but here, moderate effort wins on a key measure.
Practical Takeaways
Try 8 weeks of sprint training with under-30-second bursts to maximize blood pressure benefits.
Publication
Journal
PeerJ
Year
2024
Authors
Weibao Liang, Chuannan Liu, Xujie Yan, Yu Hou, Guan Yang, Jianmin Dai, Songtao Wang
Related Content
Claims (6)
Short, intense bursts of exercise (like sprinting) can boost heart and lung fitness just as well as longer, steady workouts — and take way less time.
Doing steady, moderate workouts might boost your heart and lung fitness more than super intense but short sprints, even though the moderate workouts take longer.
Both short, intense sprints and steady, moderate workouts can slightly lower your resting blood pressure—and they work about the same for people who don’t exercise much or have normal blood pressure.
Doing short bursts of all-out exercise for at least 8 weeks might lower your top blood pressure number more than steady, moderate workouts—especially if each burst is under 30 seconds.
If you're trying to lower your bottom blood pressure number, going for long, steady jogs might work better than short, intense sprints — especially if you're only doing the sprints for less than 8 weeks.