German Study Questions Benefits of Low-Intensity Work-Outs

How German is it? A recent study at the University of Saarland in Saarbrucken has found that low intensity workouts do relatively little to build fitness, at least when fitness is described as the ability to use oxygen efficiently. The Scientific American reports that the German study randomized 39 healthy people to a control group who did not exercise, a group who exercised at moderate intensity 5 days a week for 30 minutes, and a low-intensity group instructed to keep their heart rate at a level about 150 beats per minute.  The low-intensity group worked out at an average of 71 percent of their maximum heart rate, while the moderate intensity group got their heart rates up to 79 percent of the maximum.  After 12 weeks, the moderate intensity group was able to use oxygen more efficiently, and showed greater reductions in heart rate during exercise. "If you have a healthy cardio-circulatory system," says study lead author Tim Meyer, "there is no reason to avoid intense exercise."

Comments

[William]

I stopped reading the article when it said that persons exercising in a low intensity style were told to keep "their heart rate at 15 beats per minute". I would like to meet anyone ( at least any one that is a human being, ETs excluded) who can maintain a 15 beat per minute heart rate while at rest and not in a coma, let alone while doing any sort of activity other than extremely deep meditation. Even then, such a low heart rate of beats per minute would be questionable, if not down right unbelievable. Either the study has an immediately obvious error or this article needed to be proof read prior to printing. I seem to be hearing a big "Oops!" from somewhere.

[Geezer]

OOPS.

Geezer