Steady State Cardio vs HIIT – What’s best when dieting?

With any weight loss goal, the aim is burn more calories than you consume. While you can try and restrict your diet to remain in your caloric deficit, it is much healthier and smarter to incorporate cardio into your routine. Cardio not only burns calories by getting your heart rate up, but it also contributes to cardiovascular health – being healthy on the inside is just as important as looking healthy on the outside! So which is better – steady state or HIIT? Let’s take a look.

 

HIIT

HIIT is all the rage in fitness these days.  There has been an explosion in HIIT style studios, most notably F45, all utilising the HIIT theory to deliver classes that burn more calories than traditional forms of cardio and exercise.  HIIT involves you repeatedly going all out at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate in short, intense bursts of exercise followed by short periods of rest. An example is a 30 second sprint followed by a 10 second walk repeated for 5 rounds.  The periods of high intensity exercise and rest can be adjusted to suit fitness levels and the type of exercises performed.

 

So what are the benefits of HIIT? It’s time efficient for starters. The amount of calories burned during a 20 minute jog can be achieved in minutes through HIIT due to the much higher intensity. HIIT style workouts can also be performed anywhere and without equipment, with burpees, jumping jacks and sprints replacing treadmills, bikes and ellipticals. HIIT is also a lot more enjoyable and exciting for those who dread the monotony of being on a treadmill or exercise bike for ages, and of course HIIT is beneficial to your cardiovascular health.

 

But the most appealing benefit of HIIT is often the effect it has long after your finish your workout.  HIIT results in Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) – that is, the body continues to burn fat with a raised metabolism even after your HIIT workout.  This “afterburn effect” is caused by working out beyond your oxygen capacity, with the body relying on stored energy for fuel. After your workout, the body continues to work and burn more calories to try and replace the nutrients that were lost – essentially your body burns more calories trying to recover.  This afterburn effect, combined with the already increased calorie burn during HIIT exercise, has made HIIT the go-to for many who want to drop weight fast.

 

Steady State Cardio

Steady state cardio is often relatively low intensity, and performed for a longer duration of time compared to HIIT.  Think around 45 minutes of walking, swimming or jogging. It is often performed in the so called “fat burning zone” which is around 60% of your maximum heart rate.

 

The “fat burning zone” is often debated and misinterpreted, the concept around it being that your body uses a greater amount of fat for fuel than carbohydrates at lower intensities when compared to higher intensity aerobic exercise. For example, you might burn 50 percent of the calories from fat during low intensity exercise, while at higher intensities you might only burn 35 percent of calories from fat. But before you think steady state has trumped HIIT, remember you burn way more total calories during high intensity exercise. And what’s the main goal of cardio during weight loss? Creating a caloric deficit.

 

So why would you do steady state cardio then? Well it is a lot less stressful on the body for starters. Working at 80-90%  of your heart rate during HIIT is definitely not for everyone, with plenty of “burn” in your muscles from the increased lactic acid and being breathless from the intensity. Beginners, the elderly and those who are overweight or have joint problems will be unlikely to tolerate HIIT style workouts until they have achieved a certain level of aerobic conditioning via steady state cardio.  HIIT also produces more cortisol as a response to the stress it has on the body, so those who are chronically stressed or have low tolerance to stress will probably find it isn’t for them. Lastly, when dieting the body is placed under a certain level of stress as you’re in a caloric deficit and things like moodiness, tiredness and brain fog can be common.  If you’re doing regular weights sessions as well, additional HIIT sessions might be too much to handle and recover from regardless of exercise history.

 

So what’s the verdict then? For those who can tolerate HIIT workouts, it is often the preferred choice due to its efficiency and entertainment factor. There are also arguments that HIIT preserves more muscle during dieting, which is an important factor for many.  But for those who aren’t in the condition or mindset for HIIT, steady state can be just as, if not more, effective. Remember, the best type of cardio for dieting is the cardio that you will actually do, consistently.