Benefits of picking up the pace

I’VE been a big fan of HIIT (high intensity interval training — doing short bursts of high-intensity exercise) ever since I made a TV programme about it ten years ago and discovered that it could not only significantly improve my aerobic fitness (how strong my heart and lungs are), but also my insulin sensitivity (how well my body controls my blood sugar levels).

Now there is a new reason to embrace HIIT: it suppresses appetite.

In a recent study, published in the journal Nature, a group of young men were asked to cycle at an easy pace for 90 minutes or to do some intense 30second sprints (i.e. a type of HIIT).

When the U.S. researchers looked at the cyclists’ blood they found that the HIIT had stimulated the production of N-lactoyl-phenylalanine, a chemical that travels in the blood to the brain, where it suppresses the desire to eat.

How do you get HIIT into your life? I get my bursts of HIIT while cycling home (we live at the top of a steep hill). When I reach the foot of the hill, I pedal like crazy for about 20 seconds, then more gently for about a minute, then push myself for another 20 seconds, before easing up again. Sometimes I do a third burst. And that’s it.

If you don’t like cycling, then you could throw in some sprints when jogging or speed up for short bursts when you are walking up a hill.

You have to push yourself. But not for long.