High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss

Table 1

Effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise on subcutaneous and abdominal fat, body mass, waist circumference, V̇O_2max, and insulin sensitivity.

Study	Subcutaneous fat (kg)	Abdominal/ trunk fat (kg)	Body mass (kg)	Waist circumference (cm)	Type of HIIE	Length of intervention	V̇O2max ml·kg·min^-1	Insulin sensitivity
Boudou et al. [8]	⇓18%	⇓44%	⇓1.9 kg (2%)	—	SSE+5×2/3 min R	8 weeks	—	⇑58%
Burgomaster et al. [37]	—	—	⇔	—	4–6 Wingate/4.5 min R	6 weeks	⇑7%	—
Dunn [46]	⇓2.6 kg; (8%)	⇓.12 kg (6%)	⇓1.9 kg (3%)	⇓3.5 cm (4%)	60×8 s/12 s R	12 weeks	⇑18%	⇑36%
Helgerud et al. [39]	—	—	⇓.8 kg (1%)	—	15 s/15 s R	8 weeks	⇑6%	—
Helgerud et al. [39]	—	—	⇓1.5 kg (2%)	—	4×4 min/4 min R	8 weeks	⇑7%	—
Mourier et al. [40]	⇓18%	⇓48%	⇓1.5 kg (2%)	⇓1.00 cm (1%)	SSE+5×2/3 min R	8 weeks	⇑41%	⇑46%
Perry et al. [41]	—	—	⇓.2 kg (.03%)	—	10×4 min/2 min R	2 weeks	⇑9%	—
Talanian et al. [42]	—	—	—	—	10×4 min/2 min R	2 weeks	⇑13%	—
Tjønna et al. [43]	—	—	⇓2.3 kg (2.5%)	⇓5.0 cm (5%)	4×4 min/3 min R	16 weeks	⇑26%	⇑19%
Tjønna et al. [3]	⇓2.4 kg; (7%)	⇓1.5 kg (8%)#	⇑.1 kg (.3%)	⇓7.2 cm (7%)	4×4 min/3 min R	12 weeks	⇑10%	⇑29%
Trapp et al. [5]	⇓2.5 kg (10%)	⇓.15 kg (10%)#	⇓1.51 kg (2%)	—	60×8 s/12 s R	15 weeks	⇑24%	⇑33%
Tremblay et al. [38]	⇓15%^∗	⇓12%^∗	⇓.1 kg (.1%)	—	15×30 s	24 weeks	⇑20%	—
Warburton et al. [44]	—	—	⇓3.0 kg (4%)	—	7×2 min/2 min R	16 weeks	⇑10%	—
Whyte et al. [45]	—	—	⇓1.0 kg (1%)	⇓2.4 cm (2%)	4–6 Wingate/4.5 min R	2 weeks	⇑9%	⇑25%

Note: ⇑ indicates increased; ⇓ decreased; ⇔no change; —not recorded; ∗body fat was assessed by skin folds; # trunk fat; SSE=steady state exercise; Wingate=30 s flat out sprint; R=recovery.