More is not better

I know every runner or cyclist or triathlete will be shocked by this. I am just reporting the info. But it looks like more is not better. We don’t need to do workouts that last hours to get the benefits. This is what comes out of this study from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

Short-term sprint intervals versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in humans.

M.J. Gibala, et al.

Journal of Physiology 575 (2006), pp 901-911

Short interval training (SIT) and traditional endurance training was compared for cycling performance. Both groups trained 3 times per week. SIT did 30 sec all out sets followed by 4 minutes rest. ET cycled at 65% for 90 to 120 minutes.

Both groups showed the same improvements. So the conclusion is that the extra time did nothing for athletic performance. What a waste of time.

One fact is that the study was only for 2 weeks. If we extend it for 12 weeks, do we get the same? Doesn’t matter, you still save a lot of time and wear on your joints. That’s good enough for me.