Short-burst exercise beats fatty meal effects: study

/ Courtesy of Biokinetic

Short bursts of intensive exercise before a fatty meal are better for blood vessel function in young people than moderate-intensity exercise, a study has found.

According to the University of Exeter, this exercise method might suit young people who have diets filled with high-fat junk food and do little exercise.

Researchers compared teenagers’ blood vessel function after high-intensity, interval exercise and moderate-intensity exercise before the teenagers drank a high-fat milkshake. It showed that about 25 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling prevented a fall in blood vessel function but eight minutes of high-intensity cycling not only prevented a fall in function but improved it.

“Considering that very few adolescents currently achieve the recommended minimum of one hour of at least moderate-intensity exercise per day, smaller amounts of exercise performed at a higher-intensity might offer an attractive alternative to improve blood vessel function in adolescents,” the university’s Dr. Alan Barker said.