Not long ago, I got an e-mail from someone asking about Tabata intervals and whether they could use them to lose fat.
“What do you think of Tabata intervals?” he wrote. “Everything I’ve read on the subject says you can lose fat with a 4 minute workout.”
It was an interesting question, and I’ve wondered the same thing many times.
Because I’m fundamentally lazy, I’m always looking for ways to get better results in less time. And this question started me thinking about it again:
Is it really possible to lose fat with a workout lasting just 4 minutes?
Before I tell you exactly what I think, here’s a little background information.
Dr. Izumi Tabata is a Japanese scientist who published a study back in 1996 comparing the effects of conventional aerobic exercise with high-intensity interval training.
In Tabata’s study, one group did a full 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days per week. Group two also trained 5 days a week, but performed up to eight 20-second sprints of high-intensity cycling with a 10-second rest (pedaling at a slower rate) in between. This 4 minute workout was sandwiched between a warm-up and cool-down.
On the fifth day the interval group also did 30 minutes of steady-state exercise at 70% of their VO2max. This was followed by four intervals.
Tabata found that athletes on the high-intensity interval training program, which has become known as the Tabata Protocol, got fitter faster than athletes on a typical endurance training regime, despite the big difference in the amount of time each group spent working out.
Before you read on, I should point out two things.
Firstly, Tabata’s research looked at the effect of HIIT on VO2 max and anaerobic capacity. He DID NOT look at weight loss, post-exercise calorie expenditure (EPOC), metabolic rate or any of the other things that some people are claiming
Second, the Tabata Protocol involves “all out” sprinting on a stationary bike. I’m not talking about a level of intensity that gets you a little out of breath — this type of training will leave you feeling like throwing up.
Kettlebell swings, thrusters or bodyweight exercises with a 20-second work interval and 10 seconds of rest are not the same thing.
“Despite what you’ve been told, front squats, resistance bands, or any other bodyweight routine you might be doing may replicate the time sequence of the Tabata protocol, but it is NOT a Tabata interval,” writes Mark Young in The Tabata Myth.
“If your first set is performed at a submaximal weight that becomes maximal by the final set this does not even come close. It might be hard, but it isn’t a Tabata.”
Now let me try to answer the question. Do I really believe that you can lose fat with just 4 minutes of cardio?
I suppose the answer to this question has to be yes.
If you want to lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you take in. So any form of exercise, as long as your diet is in order, is going to make some kind of contribution to total fat loss.
Are Tabata intervals the best way to lose fat? In answer to that question, I’d have to say no.
Despite their popularity, Tabata intervals do have their limitations.
The main problem is that no matter how hard you push yourself, there’s a limit to the number of calories you can burn in such a short period of time.
It’s true that many of the calories burned will come after the workout has finished. Intense exercise boosts oxygen consumption (called excess post-exercise consumption, or EPOC for short) and calorie expenditure after exercise to a greater extent than moderate-intensity activity.
However, EPOC is linked with both exercise intensity (how hard you work) and exercise duration (how long you work for). In other words, increasing both intensity and duration — up to a point anyway — will deliver the best results. The EPOC following short bouts of exercise, no matter how intense it is, just isn’t as great as some people seem to think.
In one of the most recent reviews on the subject of EPOC and weight loss, the researchers conclude:
[T]he earlier research optimism regarding an important role for the EPOC in weight loss is generally unfounded.
This is further reinforced by acknowledging that the exercise stimuli required to promote a prolonged EPOC are unlikely to be tolerated by non-athletic individuals.
The role of exercise in the maintenance of body mass is therefore predominantly mediated via the cumulative effect of the energy expenditure during the actual exercise.
The researchers are making two main points here.
Firstly, that “the exercise stimuli required to promote a prolonged EPOC are unlikely to be tolerated by non-athletic individuals.”
In simple terms, the type of workout you need to generate a large EPOC, both in terms of time and intensity, simply isn’t a realistic goal for many.
Of course, I realize that a lot of those recommending Tabata-style interval training as the “ultimate” tool for fat loss are definitely in the “athletic individual” category.
But even for these people, problems with recovery can be a real issue. Interval training is very tough on the body, especially if you’re lifting weights 2-3 times a week AND following a restricted calorie diet.
It can leave you feeling mentally and physically drained, which isn’t going to help when it comes to sticking to the program. Pushing your body so hard on a regular basis, week in and week out, will soon take its toll.
The second point made by the researchers is that “the role of exercise in the maintenance of body mass is therefore predominantly mediated via the cumulative effect of the energy expenditure during the actual exercise.”
What do they mean?
Essentially, the calories burned during exercise are going to make the biggest contribution to calorie expenditure, and increasing that number is going to have a much larger impact on fat loss than worrying about EPOC.
But isn’t interval training “9 times better” for fat loss than regular cardio?
Most studies of Tabata-style workouts measure changes in exercise performance, rather than weight loss.
Even in the study that’s frequently cited to show that interval training is “9 times better” than traditional cardio for fat loss, neither the regular cardio or the interval group lost a significant amount of weight (see Interval Training and Fat Loss: The Untold Story).
In my experience, “waves” of intervals interspersed with steady-state cardio works better for fat loss than interval training alone. These workouts do take a little longer (the level II aerobic workout in the Fight Fat and Win program, for example, takes 35-40 minutes). But, in my experience at least, they work a lot better.
Maybe if you’re genetically predisposed towards extreme leanness, you can get away with shorter cardio workouts. But it’s my opinion that most people will need to spend longer in the gym for optimal results.
In short, interval training is both a highly effective and time-efficient way to boost your fitness. And just like any form of exercise, it will make some kind contribution to fat loss. But some of the claims about Tabata intervals and fat loss go way beyond what was shown in the original study.
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