A landmark 2021 meta-analysis by McMaster University reviewed 78 randomised controlled trials. It concluded that while HIT produces superior gains in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max) within eight weeks, improvements in blood pressure and glycaemic control were statistically equivalent to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training. Notably, the analysis found that two HIT sessions per week (totalling roughly 40 minutes of intense work) achieved similar cardiovascular risk reduction as five 45-minute moderate sessions.
The typical HIT protocol involves repeated ‘work intervals’ of 20 to 30 seconds at near-maximal effort, interspersed with 15 to 60 seconds of active recovery. A complete session, including warm-up and cool-down, rarely exceeds 20 minutes. Early research by Professor Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo demonstrated that four minutes of high-intensity intervals (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity significantly more than one hour of steady-state moderate exercise. high intensity training ielts reading answers
Despite these benefits, HIT is not without limitations. The intense nature of the training places significant stress on joints, tendons, and the cardiovascular system. Inexperienced individuals or those with underlying health conditions face a heightened risk of injury or cardiac complications. Furthermore, adherence can be problematic; many participants report that the discomfort associated with maximal exertion is psychologically discouraging, leading to higher dropout rates compared to moderate exercise. Despite these benefits, HIT is not without limitations
For decades, the conventional wisdom for improving physical fitness has been anchored in moderate-intensity endurance activities, such as jogging or cycling for 30–60 minutes several times per week. However, a growing body of exercise science suggests that High Intensity Training (HIT) – characterised by brief, all-out bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods – can produce comparable or even superior physiological adaptations in a fraction of the time. adherence can be problematic
Reading Passage
(Note: Some answer keys prefer “mitochondrial” as a single word adjective modifying biogenesis – but the stem says “creation of new (6) ______ within cells” – the thing created is mitochondria. I’ll mark as correct.) Questions 9–13 (Matching Features) | Question | Answer | Source paragraph | |----------|--------|------------------| | 9 | E | Paragraph E: “two HIT sessions per week… as five 45-minute moderate sessions” | | 10 | D | Paragraph D: “discomfort… psychologically discouraging, leading to higher dropout rates” | | 11 | F | Paragraph F: “pre-conditioning phase of four to six weeks of moderate exercise is advised” | | 12 | F | Paragraph F: “Structured programmes such as the ‘4x4’ protocol” | | 13 | E | Paragraph E: “improvements in blood pressure… statistically equivalent” | Final Score Conversion (Approximate) | Correct Answers | IELTS Band (Reading) | |----------------|----------------------| | 12–13 | 7.5 – 8.0 | | 10–11 | 6.5 – 7.0 | | 8–9 | 5.5 – 6.0 | | 6–7 | 4.5 – 5.0 |