Why Bother with HIIT?
Why Bother with HIIT?
Part I
In the run up to menopause, so about 5ish years before D-Day, your exercise habits can really help you continue with good health so it's a good idea to train for menopause before it actually happens.
Recent studies* on fit women (so trained but not athletes) showed HIIT vs. steady state moderate intensity had a really positive effect on women's visceral abdominal fat and total body fat.
However, it was the type of HIIT that made the difference. You want to be doing a very short sharp super high intense interval followed by a much longer active recovery. For example, 20 seconds of flat out work (like sprinting) so you're working at over 85% effort, followed by active recovery at around 70% effort for about 90 seconds to 4 minutes. Then repeat. The whole session should be a maximum of 30 minutes. (If you can do more than 30 minutes you're not working hard enough.)
Every woman knows it starts to get harder to lose fat after menopause. Fat turnover changes (for both men and women) as they age. For women it's very noticeable around the onset of menopause. There's a decrease in the body's use of fatty acids at rest and you start storing more of it.
So why do high intense spurts make a difference? It's the high intensity that forces the anabolic (growth) stimulus. But, you have to follow the exercise up with eating a good amount of protein and a little carbs to maximise the effect. Don't forget that bit.
Why is it so beneficial?
1. Burns glucose for fuel
When you're working intensely the body is burning glucose anaerobically (without oxygen). It uses a lot of carbohydrate and a lot of glucose in the blood.
2. Improves insulin sensitivity
It has a two-fold effect. We have a protein transport mechanism in the cell called GLUT-4 protein. When you're exercising it 'opens up' and allows more glucose to come into the cell without having to use insulin (to push it in) and you use more glucose while you're exercising and it also triggers the body to store more carbs, which also decreases your fasting blood glucose.
3. Burn more fatty acids when not exercising
Once you've finished your session the muscles and liver want to suck up carbs (glycogen) to refill their stores so there's less carbs in the blood and it means the body uses more free fatty acids at rest (when you're doing daily life stuff).
Make sure the HIIT session you're doing (eg kettlebells, sprints or cycling) isn't just tiring though. It really needs to be short blasts of super intense work followed by the 70% stuff. If you're staying in the moderate zone it's not going to be enough for the body to adapt - you want the intensity to force the body into knowing it needs to build lean mass and control blood sugar better.
How often should you do it?
Thankfully it is NOT every day! Obviously a lot will depend on what you're doing on the other days but you could get away with doing this once a week.
In Part 2 (Ark at me with a mini series!) I'll talk more about why it's also fantastic for reducing cortisol and stress (so you can avoid or get rid of the menopot belly) as well as avoiding anaemia (sometimes linked!). I'll also talk you through a kettlebell workout you can do at home (it's not resistance training, it's intense intervals). So for anyone who detests running this is a good alternative.
*Research studies refers to:
The Effect of Sprint Interval Training on Body Composition of Postmenopausal Women