You’re probably not surprised to hear that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) raises your heart rate and sheds fat. But a new study found that HIIT can also slow down the aging process by making cells produce more proteins to fuel mitochondria—which powers cells— leading to more mitochondrial capacity.
In the study, researchers enrolled 36 men and 36 women from two different age groups (18-30 and 65-80) and subjected them to three different types of workouts — one focused on HIIT, one that was strength training, and a third that combining the two disciplines. While strength building added the most muscle mass, HIIT was found to cause more change at the cellular level.
However, research lead Sreekumaran Nair stressed that the study wasn’t to find the best possible workout but to see how exercise can cause changes at the molecular level. While HIIT is absolutely beneficial, we would still recommend mixing it with other strategies for the best results.
