LOW-HIIT: Innovative 14-Minute Workout Promotes Health
Chronic diseases, obesity (obesity) or fatty liver disease: According to scientific studies, an extremely time-efficient training concept, the so-called low-volume, high-intensity interval training, LOW-HIIT in short, has a positive effect on several clinical aspects. pictures.
It is undeniable that regular physical activity contributes to better health. The so-called LOW-HIIT concept is particularly recommended here. This innovative 14-minute training from the Hector Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sport Erlangen at Medical Clinic 1 - Gastroenterology, Pulmonology and Endocrinology at University Hospital Erlangen has been proven to help solve several health problems.
Many people move too little
Regular exercise is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. “Exercise training is not only associated with many preventive health effects, but also plays an important role as a supportive measure in the treatment of many chronic diseases,” explains PD Dr. Dejan Reljic, head of the department of sports science and performance physiology at the Hector Center in Erlangen.
Nevertheless, nowadays many people do not move enough – often for lack of time. "That's why we have developed an extremely time-efficient training concept, the so-called low-volume, high-intensity interval training, LOW-HIIT for short," says Dr. Relijique.
Researchers from the Hector Center in Erlangen have now shown in three studies that this short 14-minute workout has a positive effect on several clinical pictures such as chronic diseases, obesity and fatty liver disease.
Time-saving training programs
“The minimum level of physical activity of 150 minutes per week recommended by the World Health Organization makes sense and is worth pursuing, but unfortunately only a few can do it these days. people with physical disabilities are often not able to move actively for that long,” says Dr. Relijic.
"That's why we have worked intensively in recent years on training programs that save a lot more time, but still have a health and/or therapeutic benefit. The LOW-HIIT has proven particularly effective.
As the expert explains, with LOW-HIIT only five one-minute intervals are performed twice a week at an individually defined stress pulse. Such a LOW HIIT unit takes only 14 minutes, including the warm-up, recovery between intervals and recovery phases. At just 28 minutes, the total weekly effort for training is less than a fifth of the general WHO recommendation.
Positive effects on liver health
In the first study published in the journal "Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology", researchers showed in obese patients and patients with metabolic syndrome that a twelve-week LOW-HIIT not only improved cardiovascular performance and various markers of cardiometabolic risk, such as blood pressure, but also had a positive effect on liver health.
“Many obese people with metabolic syndrome suffer from what is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – NAFLD for short – which is characterized by an increased accumulation of fatty tissue in the organ. In the longer term, NAFLD can progress to chronic inflammation of the liver and even cirrhosis of the liver,” explains Prof. Dr. Yurdagül Zopf, director of the Hector Center.
Dr. Relijic adds, “Therefore, it is very gratifying that we were able to achieve a significant improvement in liver health after only a few weeks with this extremely fast training modality.”
Reduction of inflammation markers in the body
In the second work, published in the specialist journal "Nutrients", the scientists examined how different time-efficient training concepts affect chronic inflammatory parameters in obese people with metabolic syndrome.
In addition to LOW-HIIT, this also includes the use of strength training, in which exercises are only performed in one set instead of several, and so-called full-body EMS training. With this electromyostimulation (EMS), the muscles receive targeted electrical impulses through an integral vest and special pads. This stimulation is intended to accelerate muscle growth.
“An accumulation of fat cells in the tissues that is significantly greater than the norm is generally associated with an increased release of inflammatory mediators in the body. Such chronic low-grade systemic inflammation is associated with many health problems and can lead to cardiovascular disease and cancers in the longer term,” says Professor Zopf.
According to Reljic, the study showed that LOW-HIIT beat other time-efficient exercise modalities when it came to reducing inflammatory markers in the body. “It is particularly amazing that the anti-inflammatory effects achieved with several weeks of LOW-HIIT are similar to a pharmaceutical effect,” says Reljic.
Safe exercise modality in advanced cancer
The third study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, demonstrates that LOW-HIIT is also a safe and feasible exercise modality for patients with advanced cancer.
as Dr. Hans Joachim Herrmann, head of the department of nutritional sciences at the Hector Center, explains that this vulnerable group usually suffers from a weakened immune system. "For fear of further weakening the immune system, people have been relatively reluctant to do more intensive physical training in this group of patients," says Dr. Relijique.
However, according to the expert, the results of the study tend to indicate the opposite. In collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Mougiakakos from University Hospital Magdeburg and Dr. Benedikt Jacobs from Medical Clinic 5 - Internal Hematology and Oncology at University Hospital Erlangen, it was found that a LOW-HIIT unit leads to activation increased natural killer cells.
As the researcher explains, these play a crucial role in the destruction of virus-infected and tumor cells. In addition, after the twelve-week LOW-HIIT, the physical condition of the people tested in terms of better cardiovascular performance also increased, they were less exhausted and they felt better physically. (ad)
Author and source information
Show nowThis text corresponds to the specifications of the specialized medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been verified by health professionals.
Sources:
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen: Healthier with Innovative 14-Minute Training, (Accessed: August 14, 2022), Universitätsklinikum ErlangenD Reljic, PC Kontorek, HJ Herrmann, J Siebler, MF Neurath, Y Zopf: Ultra Low Interval Training volume improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and cardiometabolic health in obese and metabolic syndrome adults; in: Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, (published: 04/24/2022), Journal of Physiology and PharmacologyDejan Reljic, Walburga Dieterich, Hans J Herrmann, Markus F Neurath, Yurdagül Zopf: "HIIT the Inflammation": Comparative Effects of Low Training by volume intervals and resistance exercises on inflammatory indices in obese patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing caloric restriction; in: Nutrients, (published: 2022-05-10) NutrientsDejan Reljic, Hans J Herrmann, Benedikt Jakobs, Walburga Dieterich, Dimitrios Mougiakakos, Markus F Neurath, Yurdagül Zopf: Feasibility, Safety and Preliminary Effectiveness of High Speed Interval Training low volume in patients with advanced cancer; in: Medicine and science in sport and exercise, (published: 07/07/2022), Medicine and science in sport and exerciseImportant note:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot substitute a visit to the doctor.
