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As we age, it becomes harder to lose body fat without also losing valuable muscle. A new study suggests one type of exercise may offer the best of both worlds. Researchers found that while all forms of exercise helped healthy older adults reduce body fat, only high-intensity interval training (HIIT) preserved lean muscle mass.
But what is HIIT, and why does it seem to work so well? HIIT involves brief periods of hard exercise followed by slower recovery periods. During the intense bursts, your heart rate rises, breathing becomes rapid, and conversation is difficult. This stress on the muscles encourages the body to preserve lean tissue while using fat for energy, helping reduce overall body fat and abdominal fat.
The researchers enrolled more than 120 healthy older adults with an average age of 72. All participants had a body mass considered healthy for people over 65. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups and completed three supervised 45-minute treadmill sessions each week for six months. Each group exercised at a different intensity, allowing researchers to compare how various levels of exercise affected body fat and muscle mass.
Although moderate exercise helped older adults reduce fat, it did not provide the same muscle-preserving benefits as HIIT. Participants who performed HIIT were the only group to experience a significant drop in body fat percentage over the six-month study. The findings suggest that for seniors hoping to lose fat while maintaining strength, adding higher-intensity exercise may offer an important advantage.
Keeping muscle as we age is about much more than appearance. A major loss of muscle in the 70s can affect strength, mobility, and the ability to remain independent. Meanwhile, carrying extra fat, particularly around the waist, can increase the risk of several age-related health problems. That is why the ideal approach is to lose excess fat while protecting muscle, something that is difficult to accomplish through diet alone.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Exercise intensity influences body composition: a 6-month comparison of high-intensity interval, moderate- and low-intensity training among healthy older adults
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