Have you ever wondered what type of cardio you should be doing or what the difference is?
The type of cardio that you do should depends on your personal goals!
During a H.I.I.T workout, your body demands more oxygen, which means that it will eventually go into an oxygen deficit. This oxygen is known as “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption” (EPOC). It can take up to 24 hours to return to pre-exercise oxygen consumption due to the large oxygen deficiency[1]. This means that you will keep burning calories – more calories – throughout out the day, and that is why it can be more efficient than steady state cardio.
The problem with HIIT is that it can increase the risk of mechanical damage on muscle tissue, and it puts a large amount of stress on the body.
On the other hand, steady state cardio improves aerobic efficiency by generating less metabolic waste and cellular damage than HIIT workouts but it may require extended periods of training time to achieve optimal results, which can eventually lead to overuse injuries.[2]
It’s important to changeyour workouts and combine HIIT with steady state cardio so you can benefit from both types of cardio and avoid plateaus. Remember: the best workout is the one that you can follow on a regular basis.
[1] Canfit – Fitness Instructor Manual
[2] https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5563/steady-state-vs-interval-training-which-one-is
