EQUATION FOR SAFETY:
First, it is not advisable for anyone to attempt interval training without first getting medical clearance preferable from a sports medicine physician who has a clear understanding as to the physical demands to be encountered. For any person having coronary heart disease the answer must be a big no. For a healthy person having a reasonably good level of aerobic fitness - (i.e., a minimum V02max of 50ml/kg/min) there should be no problem. However, as an added safety measure, it would be a good idea to take a treadmill stress test to be sure that there are no cardiac abnormalities.
For best results and safety, the intensity of the interval workouts should be set using a percent of one's age-related maximum heart rate. An easy method of determining maximum exercise heart rate for interval work is to subtract your age from 220 and then use 90-95 percent of that figure. For a 40 year old individual the interval exercise target heart rate would be 171 (220 - 40 = 180 x .95 = 171). Remember too, interval training is very stressful on the body and joints and should not be done more than two times a week. Yes, young athletes are more resilient than master age-group athletes. They recover quicker and more fully between workouts which allows them to do interval training with greater frequency.
INTERVALS
The 20:10 work-to-rest ratio in the Tabata study produced substantial improvement in both aerobic and anaerobic work capacity, while the 30-second:4-minute ratio failed to produce improvement in either category.
Generally, short hard intervals with long rest periods are recommended to improve anaerobic capacity; and many sets and repetitions of longer less intense intervals with short rest periods are suggested to overload the aerobic system.
The relatively long 2 minute rest periods in 1E2 allowed oxygen uptake to fall considerably and, therefore, when the next exercise bout started there was a delay before the oxygen uptake increased and began again to approach maximum. On the other hand, the short 10 second rest periods in 1E1 allowed only slight recovery, and therefore oxygen uptake increased in each succeeding bout, reaching maximum capacity in the final seconds of the last bout. The same was true for anaerobic energy release. The long rest periods in 1E2 stopped the buildup of lactate and allowed the resynthesis of phosphocreatine (see creatine article on this website) to occur. Again, the short rest periods in 1E1 caused the oxygen deficit to continue building from rep to rep, reaching maximum anaerobic capacity at the end of the exercise.
Dr. Tabata's 1E1 protocol may not be perfect, but he and his colleagues seem to have found a sweet spot where aerobic and anaerobic capacity peak simultaneously.
Here are more details on the study:
As a follow-up to the study discussed in article #10, Forget The Fat-Burn Zone, Dr.Tabata and his colleagues conducted a second study "to evaluate the magnitude of the stress on the aerobic and the anaerobic energy release systems" of the high intensity protocol used in the previous study and, additionally, of a second interval protocol. (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (1997) 29, 390-395) The two protocols in the follow-up study differed in three ways: interval duration, intensity and rest between bouts.
As in the previous study, young male members of college varsity teams exercised on stationary bicycles. The two protocols were given the catchy names 1E1 and 1E2. Protocol 1E1 was the same as before: following a 10 minute warm-up, each subject did one set of 6-7 bouts of 20 seconds at approximately 170% of the subject's maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), with 10 second rest periods, to exhaustion. The 1E2 group did 4-5 bouts of 30 seconds at 200% of VO2max, with 2 minute rest periods, to exhaustion. For each protocol, the criteria for exhaustion was that the subject was unable to maintain a pedaling speed of 85 rpm. Expired gas was collected continuously every 10 seconds to measure the oxygen uptake. As in the earlier study, accumulated oxygen deficit was used to measure anaerobic energy release.
The 1E1 protocol taxed both aerobic and anaerobic capacity significantly more than the 1E2 protocol. The peak oxygen uptake during the last 10 seconds of 1E1 was "not statistically different from the subjects' VO2max." But the peak oxygen uptake at the end of 1E2 "was much less than the VO2max." Likewise for anaerobic output: For 1E1, accumulated oxygen deficit was essentially 100% of the subjects anaerobic capacity, but for 1E2 it was only 67%. In short, the 20 second intervals, with 10 seconds rest, overloaded both aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity to the max, while the longer and harder interval protocol, with two minute rest periods, did not. In both respects, the stress produced by 1E2 fell well short of maximum.
SCIENCE BEHIND INTERVALS:
Coaches and athletes need to understand however, that short-term intense interval training has very limited application to long-distance events such as marathon running and the Tour de France. Long distance endurance athletes need efficient "fat burning" bodies. Their muscles must be trained to utilize energy from free fatty acid oxidation while conserving the limited stores of glycogen which are necessary for nerve and brain function. (Nerves and the brain derive energy only from glycogen - not fat.)
Another important consideration in understanding aerobic and anaerobic metabolism is that muscles differ in their ability to utilize oxygen. Slow twitch muscles are noted for their endurance and have the ability to use large quantities of oxygen required for fat metabolism during aerobic exercise. Fast twitch muscles are the strength and power producing muscles. They are good for explosive bursts of anaerobic energy for sprinting, jumping, lifting and interval work. However, they fatigue fast and are not efficient fat burners. Glycogen is their main source of energy during intense work making them ideal for anaerobic exercise lasting up to three minutes. Exercise lasting longer than three minutes is aerobic.
The bottom line is that short-term intense interval work is not designed to train the body to become an efficient fat burner as is required for long-distance endurance activities. However, for sprint cycling or running (up to 400 meters) intense interval training definitely offers major physical benefits. In the overall scheme of training for athletes participating in stop and go power sports (e.g., football, basketball, ice hockey and gymnastics) short-intense interval work has a major role to play in maximizing performance.
long duration exercise is not as effective as short intense intervals in reducing body fat. It is relatively easy to explain why this is so.
During strenuous exercise, the rate of metabolism rises, going to about 15 times the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and even higher during intense interval work. For example, running 5 mi/hr the oxygen uptake required is 28 ml 02/min/kg of body weight with 3.7 cal/hr./lb burned, while a short burst of intense interval work may require 100 ml 02/min/kg with 13.8 cal/hr/lb burned. By maintaining the high level of training over a 5 or 6 week period one would expect a significant increase in the ratio of lean body mass to fat. Over a three month period you would be RIPPED like never before.
Intense interval work utilizes a greater percent of the body's muscles, both slow and fast twitch. Also, performing high intensity work places added energy demands on the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and nervous system. Thus more fat and glycogen are burned to support the expanding energy demands of the body during - and after - intense exercise. In other words, the cost of short intense interval exercise is very high in terms of energy demands in comparison to low intensity aerobic exercise. What's more, while at rest trained active muscles burn more fat night and day, contributing to further fat loss.
Intense interval work is an excellent way of losing weight while simultaneously getting ripped for peak contest shape.
Forget "Fat Burning Zone" if you Really want to burn Fat...
FORGET THE FAT-BURN ZONE
Hit HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training
"Fat burn is greater when exercise intensity is high." Metabolism
I believe in high-intensity aerobics. I recommended "a variety of relatively short and infrequent aerobic sessions interspersed with explosive muscular effort." Appreciate the superiority of high intensity aerobics compared to the usual prescription that heart rate be maintained between 60% and 80% of maximum.
High intensity aerobics burns the same amount of fat as low intensity, but the expenditure of calories is substantially greater; plus, intense aerobics produces a higher level of fitness. Importantly, the more fit you become, the more likely you are to use fat as fuel for any given activity. And now, research in Japan and in Canada shows that short, very intense aerobic sessions are amazingly effective for both fitness and fat loss.
Maximal oxygen uptake, or V02max, is generally regarded as the best single measure of aerobic fitness. As the rate of exercise increases, your body eventually reaches a limit for oxygen consumption. This limit is the peak of your aerobic capacity, or your V02max. As intensity increases beyond V02max, your body must shift to anaerobic (without oxygen) energy production. An oxygen debt begins to build at this point and blood lactate levels climb. In general terms, one's ability to continue exercising in the face of rising oxygen deficit and lactate levels is called anaerobic capacity.
This is important because many high-intensity sports (including basketball, football, soccer and speed skating) require a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Clearly, total fitness involves both high V02max and high anaerobic capacity. A training protocol that develops both would be ideal.
Notice that the duration of the moderate-intensity and the high-intensity protocols are drastically different: (excluding warm-ups) one hour compared to only about 4 minutes per training schedule
Tabata's moderate-intensity protocol will sound familiar; it's the same steady-state aerobic training done by many (perhaps most) fitness enthusiasts.
Here are the details (stay with me on this): In the moderate-intensity group, seven active young male physical education majors exercised on stationary bicycles 5 days per week for 6 weeks at 70% of V02max, 60 minutes each session. V02max was measured before and after the training and every week during the 6 week period. As each subject's V02max improved, exercise intensity was increased to keep them pedaling at 70% of their actual V02max. Maximal accumulated oxygen deficit was also measured, before, at 4 weeks and after the training.
A second group followed a high-intensity interval program. Seven students, also young and physically active, exercised five days per week using a training program similar to the Japanese speed skaters. After a 10-minute warm-up, the subjects did seven to eight sets of 20 seconds at 170% of V02max, with a 10 second rest between each bout. Pedaling speed was 90-rpm and sets were terminated when rpms dropped below 85. When subjects could complete more than 9 sets, exercise intensity was increased by 11 watts. The training protocol was altered one day per week. On that day, the students exercised for 30 minutes at 70% of V02max before doing 4 sets of 20 second intervals at 170% of V02max. This latter session was not continued to exhaustion. Again, V02max and anaerobic capacity was determined before, during and after the training.
In some respects the results were no surprise, but in others they may be ground breaking. The moderate-intensity endurance training program produced a significant increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The high-intensity intermittent protocol improved V02max by about 14%; anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%.
Dr. Tabata and his colleagues believe this is the first study to demonstrate an increase in both aerobic and anaerobic power. What's more, in an e-mail response to Dick Winett, Dr. Tabata said, "The fact is that the rate of increase in V02max [14% for the high-intensity protocol - in only 6 weeks] is one of the highest ever reported in exercise science." (Note, the students participating in this study were members of varsity table tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming teams and already had relatively high aerobic capacities.)
The results, of course, confirm the well-known fact that the results of training are specific. The intensity in the first protocol (70% of V02max) did not stress anaerobic components (lactate production and oxygen debt) and, therefore, it was predictable that anaerobic capacity would be unchanged. On the other hand, the subjects in the high-intensity group exercised to exhaustion, and peak blood lactate levels indicated that anaerobic metabolism was being taxed to the max. So, it was probably also no big surprise that anaerobic capacity increased quite significantly.
What probably was a surprise, however, is that a 4 minute training program of very-hard 20 second repeats, in the words of the researchers, "may be optimal with respect to improving both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy release systems." That's something to write home about!
What About Fat Loss?
Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, challenged the common belief among health professionals that low-intensity, long-duration exercise is the best program for fat loss. They compared the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity aerobics on fat loss. (Metabolism (1994) Volume 43, pp.814-818)
The Canadian scientists divided 27 inactive, healthy, non-obese adults (13 men, 14 women, 18 to 32 years old) into two groups. They subjected one group to a 20-week endurance training (ET) program of uninterrupted cycling 4 or 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes; the intensity level began at 60% of heart rate reserve and progressed to 85%. (For a 30-year-old, this would mean starting at a heart rate of about 136 and progressing to roughly 170 bpm, which is more intense than usually prescribed for weight or fat loss.)
The other group did a 15-week program including mainly high-intensity-interval training (HIIT). Much like the ET group, they began with 30-minute sessions of continuous exercise at 70% of maximum heart rate reserve (remember, they were not accustomed to exercise), but soon progressed to 10 to 15 bouts of short (15 seconds progressing to 30 seconds) or 4 to 5 long (60 seconds progressing to 90 seconds) intervals separated by recovery periods allowing heart rate to return to 120-130 beats per minute. The intensity of the short intervals was initially fixed at 60% of the maximal work output in 10 seconds, and that of the long bouts corresponded to 70% of the individual maximum work output in 90 seconds. Intensity on both was increased 5% every three weeks.
As you might expect, the total energy cost of the ET program was substantially greater than the HIIT program. The researchers calculated that the ET group burned more than twice as many calories while exercising than the HIIT program. But (surprise, surprise) skinfold measurements showed that the HIIT group lost more subcutaneous fat. "Moreover," reported the researchers, "when the difference in the total energy cost of the program was taken into account..., the subcutaneous fat loss was ninefold greater in the HIIT program than in the ET program." In short, the HIIT group got 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned exercising.
How can that be?
Dr. Tremblay's group took muscle biopsies and measured muscle enzyme activity to determine why high-intensity exercise produced so much more fat loss. I'll spare you the details (they are technical and hard to decipher), but this is their bottom line: "[Metabolic adaptations resulting from HIIT] may lead to a better lipid utilization in the postexercise state and thus contribute to a greater energy and lipid deficit." In other words, compared to moderate-intensity endurance exercise, high- intensity intermittent exercise causes more calories and fat to be burned following the workout. Citing animal studies, they also said it may be that appetite is suppressed more following intense intervals. (Neither group was placed on a diet.)
The next time someone pipes up about the fat-burn zone, ask them if they are familiar with the Tabata and Tremblay research reports.
Keep in mind that VO2max can only be measured in the laboratory; you'll have to estimate 170% of VO2 max. Don't try to make it too complicated. Simply choose a pace that brings you near exhaustion on the final 20-second rep; you should become more fatigued with each rep. Increase the pace as your condition improves. It's always better to underestimate your ability at the start. Begin a little slower than you think you can handle, and then adjust the pace from workout to workout.
High-intensity exercise cannot be prescribed for individuals at risk for health problems or for obese people who are not used to exercise.
http://www.cbass.com/FATBURN.HTM
Hit HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training
"Fat burn is greater when exercise intensity is high." Metabolism
I believe in high-intensity aerobics. I recommended "a variety of relatively short and infrequent aerobic sessions interspersed with explosive muscular effort." Appreciate the superiority of high intensity aerobics compared to the usual prescription that heart rate be maintained between 60% and 80% of maximum.
High intensity aerobics burns the same amount of fat as low intensity, but the expenditure of calories is substantially greater; plus, intense aerobics produces a higher level of fitness. Importantly, the more fit you become, the more likely you are to use fat as fuel for any given activity. And now, research in Japan and in Canada shows that short, very intense aerobic sessions are amazingly effective for both fitness and fat loss.
Maximal oxygen uptake, or V02max, is generally regarded as the best single measure of aerobic fitness. As the rate of exercise increases, your body eventually reaches a limit for oxygen consumption. This limit is the peak of your aerobic capacity, or your V02max. As intensity increases beyond V02max, your body must shift to anaerobic (without oxygen) energy production. An oxygen debt begins to build at this point and blood lactate levels climb. In general terms, one's ability to continue exercising in the face of rising oxygen deficit and lactate levels is called anaerobic capacity.
This is important because many high-intensity sports (including basketball, football, soccer and speed skating) require a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Clearly, total fitness involves both high V02max and high anaerobic capacity. A training protocol that develops both would be ideal.
Notice that the duration of the moderate-intensity and the high-intensity protocols are drastically different: (excluding warm-ups) one hour compared to only about 4 minutes per training schedule
Tabata's moderate-intensity protocol will sound familiar; it's the same steady-state aerobic training done by many (perhaps most) fitness enthusiasts.
Here are the details (stay with me on this): In the moderate-intensity group, seven active young male physical education majors exercised on stationary bicycles 5 days per week for 6 weeks at 70% of V02max, 60 minutes each session. V02max was measured before and after the training and every week during the 6 week period. As each subject's V02max improved, exercise intensity was increased to keep them pedaling at 70% of their actual V02max. Maximal accumulated oxygen deficit was also measured, before, at 4 weeks and after the training.
A second group followed a high-intensity interval program. Seven students, also young and physically active, exercised five days per week using a training program similar to the Japanese speed skaters. After a 10-minute warm-up, the subjects did seven to eight sets of 20 seconds at 170% of V02max, with a 10 second rest between each bout. Pedaling speed was 90-rpm and sets were terminated when rpms dropped below 85. When subjects could complete more than 9 sets, exercise intensity was increased by 11 watts. The training protocol was altered one day per week. On that day, the students exercised for 30 minutes at 70% of V02max before doing 4 sets of 20 second intervals at 170% of V02max. This latter session was not continued to exhaustion. Again, V02max and anaerobic capacity was determined before, during and after the training.
In some respects the results were no surprise, but in others they may be ground breaking. The moderate-intensity endurance training program produced a significant increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The high-intensity intermittent protocol improved V02max by about 14%; anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%.
Dr. Tabata and his colleagues believe this is the first study to demonstrate an increase in both aerobic and anaerobic power. What's more, in an e-mail response to Dick Winett, Dr. Tabata said, "The fact is that the rate of increase in V02max [14% for the high-intensity protocol - in only 6 weeks] is one of the highest ever reported in exercise science." (Note, the students participating in this study were members of varsity table tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming teams and already had relatively high aerobic capacities.)
The results, of course, confirm the well-known fact that the results of training are specific. The intensity in the first protocol (70% of V02max) did not stress anaerobic components (lactate production and oxygen debt) and, therefore, it was predictable that anaerobic capacity would be unchanged. On the other hand, the subjects in the high-intensity group exercised to exhaustion, and peak blood lactate levels indicated that anaerobic metabolism was being taxed to the max. So, it was probably also no big surprise that anaerobic capacity increased quite significantly.
What probably was a surprise, however, is that a 4 minute training program of very-hard 20 second repeats, in the words of the researchers, "may be optimal with respect to improving both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy release systems." That's something to write home about!
What About Fat Loss?
Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, challenged the common belief among health professionals that low-intensity, long-duration exercise is the best program for fat loss. They compared the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity aerobics on fat loss. (Metabolism (1994) Volume 43, pp.814-818)
The Canadian scientists divided 27 inactive, healthy, non-obese adults (13 men, 14 women, 18 to 32 years old) into two groups. They subjected one group to a 20-week endurance training (ET) program of uninterrupted cycling 4 or 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes; the intensity level began at 60% of heart rate reserve and progressed to 85%. (For a 30-year-old, this would mean starting at a heart rate of about 136 and progressing to roughly 170 bpm, which is more intense than usually prescribed for weight or fat loss.)
The other group did a 15-week program including mainly high-intensity-interval training (HIIT). Much like the ET group, they began with 30-minute sessions of continuous exercise at 70% of maximum heart rate reserve (remember, they were not accustomed to exercise), but soon progressed to 10 to 15 bouts of short (15 seconds progressing to 30 seconds) or 4 to 5 long (60 seconds progressing to 90 seconds) intervals separated by recovery periods allowing heart rate to return to 120-130 beats per minute. The intensity of the short intervals was initially fixed at 60% of the maximal work output in 10 seconds, and that of the long bouts corresponded to 70% of the individual maximum work output in 90 seconds. Intensity on both was increased 5% every three weeks.
As you might expect, the total energy cost of the ET program was substantially greater than the HIIT program. The researchers calculated that the ET group burned more than twice as many calories while exercising than the HIIT program. But (surprise, surprise) skinfold measurements showed that the HIIT group lost more subcutaneous fat. "Moreover," reported the researchers, "when the difference in the total energy cost of the program was taken into account..., the subcutaneous fat loss was ninefold greater in the HIIT program than in the ET program." In short, the HIIT group got 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned exercising.
How can that be?
Dr. Tremblay's group took muscle biopsies and measured muscle enzyme activity to determine why high-intensity exercise produced so much more fat loss. I'll spare you the details (they are technical and hard to decipher), but this is their bottom line: "[Metabolic adaptations resulting from HIIT] may lead to a better lipid utilization in the postexercise state and thus contribute to a greater energy and lipid deficit." In other words, compared to moderate-intensity endurance exercise, high- intensity intermittent exercise causes more calories and fat to be burned following the workout. Citing animal studies, they also said it may be that appetite is suppressed more following intense intervals. (Neither group was placed on a diet.)
The next time someone pipes up about the fat-burn zone, ask them if they are familiar with the Tabata and Tremblay research reports.
Keep in mind that VO2max can only be measured in the laboratory; you'll have to estimate 170% of VO2 max. Don't try to make it too complicated. Simply choose a pace that brings you near exhaustion on the final 20-second rep; you should become more fatigued with each rep. Increase the pace as your condition improves. It's always better to underestimate your ability at the start. Begin a little slower than you think you can handle, and then adjust the pace from workout to workout.
High-intensity exercise cannot be prescribed for individuals at risk for health problems or for obese people who are not used to exercise.
http://www.cbass.com/FATBURN.HTM
Comparing Heart Rate Zones
Now, if you have ever heard me talk about Heart Rate Zones, you know that I prefer "perceived exertion scale" over a generalized heart rate zone equation. I have found a much better "heart rate zone" chart that I actually like! I still use perceived exertion over heart rate while I exercise and train my clients, but here is some information for you to use and make your own decision.
Target Heart Rates
Working Heart Rate Range Chart
Beats Per Minute (BPM)
Resting Heart Rate Age
30 & Under 31-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 Over 65
50-51 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
52-53 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
54-56 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
57-58 140-190 130-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
59-61 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
62-63 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
64-66 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
67-68 140-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
69-71 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 120-150
72-73 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
74-76 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
77-78 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
79-81 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
82-83 150-190 140-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
84-86 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
87-88 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 130-150 120-150
89-91 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 140-170 130-160 130-150 120-150
AHA Recommendation
Health professionals know the importance of proper pacing during exercise. To receive the benefits of physical activity, it's important not to tire too quickly. Pacing yourself is especially important if you've been inactive.
Target heart rates let you measure your initial fitness level and monitor your progress in a fitness program. This approach requires measuring your pulse periodically as you exercise and staying within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is called your target heart rate.
What is an alternative to target heart rates?
Some people can't measure their pulse or don't want to take their pulse when exercising. If this is true for you, try using a "conversational pace" to monitor your efforts during moderate activities like walking. If you can talk and walk at the same time, you aren't working too hard. If you can sing and maintain your level of effort, you're probably not working hard enough. If you get out of breath quickly, you're probably working too hard — especially if you have to stop and catch your breath.
When should I use the target heart rate?
If you participate in more-vigorous activities like brisk walking and jogging, the "conversational pace" approach may not work. Then try using the target heart rate. It works for many people, and it's a good way for health professionals to monitor your progress.
Target Heart Rates
Working Heart Rate Range Chart
Beats Per Minute (BPM)
Resting Heart Rate Age
30 & Under 31-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 Over 65
50-51 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
52-53 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
54-56 140-190 130-190 130-180 120-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
57-58 140-190 130-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
59-61 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 110-150 110-150
62-63 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 120-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
64-66 140-190 140-190 130-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
67-68 140-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 110-150
69-71 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 120-160 120-150 120-150
72-73 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
74-76 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
77-78 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
79-81 150-190 140-190 140-180 130-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
82-83 150-190 140-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
84-86 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 120-150 120-150
87-88 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 130-170 130-160 130-150 120-150
89-91 150-190 150-190 140-180 140-170 140-170 130-160 130-150 120-150
AHA Recommendation
Health professionals know the importance of proper pacing during exercise. To receive the benefits of physical activity, it's important not to tire too quickly. Pacing yourself is especially important if you've been inactive.
Target heart rates let you measure your initial fitness level and monitor your progress in a fitness program. This approach requires measuring your pulse periodically as you exercise and staying within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is called your target heart rate.
What is an alternative to target heart rates?
Some people can't measure their pulse or don't want to take their pulse when exercising. If this is true for you, try using a "conversational pace" to monitor your efforts during moderate activities like walking. If you can talk and walk at the same time, you aren't working too hard. If you can sing and maintain your level of effort, you're probably not working hard enough. If you get out of breath quickly, you're probably working too hard — especially if you have to stop and catch your breath.
When should I use the target heart rate?
If you participate in more-vigorous activities like brisk walking and jogging, the "conversational pace" approach may not work. Then try using the target heart rate. It works for many people, and it's a good way for health professionals to monitor your progress.
Smoking Cessation-from "Healthnotes"
Dietary Modification
A high-carbohydrate diet, combined with a tryptophan supplement (50 mg/kg body weight per day) lessened withdrawal symptoms and helped participants smoke fewer cigarettes in one controlled study,1 but no research has investigated the effect of dietary changes alone on smoking cessation.
Lifestyle Modification
Smoking cessation often leads to weight gain, which can dissuade smokers from trying to quit or cause them to resume smoking.2 3 Increasing physical activity after quitting smoking can minimize weight gain, and a controlled trial found that adding exercise to a smoking cessation behavioral counseling program improved abstinence rates.4 5 However, other, smaller studies have not shown that exercise either alone or added to a comprehensive program helps to maintain abstinence.6 7 Adding weight control through dieting to smoking-cessation programs has resulted in either an increase in smoking relapses or no effect.8 9 Changing the diet at the same time as quitting smoking may require more discipline than most people can achieve.
Other therapies
Individuals who want to quit smoking cigarettes will have better success if they decide on a quit date and change their routines around typical smoking cues, such as coffee breaks, meals, boredom, and sexual activity. Absolute stopping, known as quitting "cold turkey," is generally considered a better method than weaning off.
Nutritional Supplement Treatment Options
Nicotine addiction is thought to be caused by increased stimulation of nerve receptors for various brain chemicals, including serotonin.10 Withdrawal symptoms that accompany smoking cessation could be related to the sudden drop in nerve receptor stimulation. However, a double-blind study found that depleting blood levels of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin, had no effect on withdrawal symptoms after five hours of smoking abstinence.11 In a controlled study, a daily tryptophan supplement (50 mg/kg body weight) along with a high-carbohydrate diet (which increases brain uptake of tryptophan) was added to a smoking-cessation program. While rates of complete abstinence were not significantly affected, tryptophan plus a high-carbohydrate diet lessened withdrawal symptoms and helped participants smoke fewer cigarettes.12 More research is needed to clarify whether supplementing with tryptophan or other serotonin precursors might help support smoking cessation.
Botanical Treatment Options
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), also known as Indian tobacco, contains a substance (lobeline) that has some effects on the nervous system that are similar to the effects of nicotine, and preliminary reports suggested that pure lobeline or lobelia herb could be used to support smoking cessation.13 14 15 However, results in preliminary human trials with lobeline have been mixed and generally negative, and no long-term controlled studies of lobeline or lobelia for smoking cessation have been done.16 17
Other herbs used to treat anxiety are sometimes recommended as part of a smoking cessation program, including oat straw (Avena sativa), scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), and vervain (Verbena officinalis). Of these herbs, only oat straw has been investigated in human research for smoking cessation. At least three trials have reported no effect of oat straw on smoking cessation, but one controlled study in India found that taking 1 ml of an alcohol extract of oat straw QID significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day.18 19 20 21
Integrative Options
In the year 2000, the United States Public Health Service published updated smoking-cessation guidelines for doctors.22 This report identified counseling and behavioral therapies as proven effective components of a smoking-cessation program. Effective components include providing basic information about successful quitting, identifying factors that will increase the risk of relapse, and teaching problem-solving and coping skills. Also effective is social support provided either in a healthcare setting (for example, being able to talk about the quitting process with a doctor) or by strategies that teach the quitter to build a support network among friends, family, and the community. Guidelines issued in other countries have reached similar conclusions about the effectiveness of counseling and behavioral therapies.23 Government-sponsored, free counseling resources in North America include Quitline [800-QUIT-NOW] and SmokeFree (www.smokefree.gov). Group or individual counseling is often a component of successful smoking cessation programs offered in schools and the workplace.24 25
People tend to smoke more often under conditions of stress. Those who achieve long-term success in quitting smoking have been shown to have more social support and less stress than people who eventually relapse.26 Stress-reduction techniques that have been shown in controlled trials to be effective for assisting smoking cessation include self-massage, guided relaxation imagery, and exercise.27 28 29
Some research indicates that the effectiveness of acupuncture on abstinence from smoking is similar to that reported for nicotine chewing gum and behavioral therapy, and that these methods can complement each other.30 One controlled trial showed that daily cigarette consumption decreased more significantly during acupuncture treatment to points associated with smoking cessation than in fake acupuncture treatment (i.e., acupuncture applied to points not associated with smoking cessation). Altogether, 31% of subjects in the treatment group had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in the control group.31 Electroacupuncture treatment to points on the ear has also been shown to aid in smoking cessation compared with fake ear acupuncture in a controlled trial.32 However, most clinical trials have not achieved comparable results. An analysis of 22 studies found that while acupuncture is often as effective as other smoking cessation techniques, its effectiveness does not last very long. Moreover, in most studies the overall effect of real acupuncture was no better on average than fake acupuncture for smoking cessation.33
A controlled clinical trial showed that people undergoing single hypnosis sessions smoked significantly fewer cigarettes and had a higher frequency of abstinence than a placebo control group.34 However, most clinical trials have not corroborated these results.35 A review of 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation concluded that hypnosis "cannot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessation."36
Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds
Food
Absorption of nicotine from nicotine gum requires mildly alkaline saliva.3 Acidic foods and beverages (coffee, colas, fruit, fruit juices, and others) may reduce nicotine absorption. This potential interaction may be avoided by chewing nicotine gum one hour before or after consuming acidic food and beverages.
Dr. Celeste Ruland
www.naturallyvital.net
A high-carbohydrate diet, combined with a tryptophan supplement (50 mg/kg body weight per day) lessened withdrawal symptoms and helped participants smoke fewer cigarettes in one controlled study,1 but no research has investigated the effect of dietary changes alone on smoking cessation.
Lifestyle Modification
Smoking cessation often leads to weight gain, which can dissuade smokers from trying to quit or cause them to resume smoking.2 3 Increasing physical activity after quitting smoking can minimize weight gain, and a controlled trial found that adding exercise to a smoking cessation behavioral counseling program improved abstinence rates.4 5 However, other, smaller studies have not shown that exercise either alone or added to a comprehensive program helps to maintain abstinence.6 7 Adding weight control through dieting to smoking-cessation programs has resulted in either an increase in smoking relapses or no effect.8 9 Changing the diet at the same time as quitting smoking may require more discipline than most people can achieve.
Other therapies
Individuals who want to quit smoking cigarettes will have better success if they decide on a quit date and change their routines around typical smoking cues, such as coffee breaks, meals, boredom, and sexual activity. Absolute stopping, known as quitting "cold turkey," is generally considered a better method than weaning off.
Nutritional Supplement Treatment Options
Nicotine addiction is thought to be caused by increased stimulation of nerve receptors for various brain chemicals, including serotonin.10 Withdrawal symptoms that accompany smoking cessation could be related to the sudden drop in nerve receptor stimulation. However, a double-blind study found that depleting blood levels of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin, had no effect on withdrawal symptoms after five hours of smoking abstinence.11 In a controlled study, a daily tryptophan supplement (50 mg/kg body weight) along with a high-carbohydrate diet (which increases brain uptake of tryptophan) was added to a smoking-cessation program. While rates of complete abstinence were not significantly affected, tryptophan plus a high-carbohydrate diet lessened withdrawal symptoms and helped participants smoke fewer cigarettes.12 More research is needed to clarify whether supplementing with tryptophan or other serotonin precursors might help support smoking cessation.
Botanical Treatment Options
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), also known as Indian tobacco, contains a substance (lobeline) that has some effects on the nervous system that are similar to the effects of nicotine, and preliminary reports suggested that pure lobeline or lobelia herb could be used to support smoking cessation.13 14 15 However, results in preliminary human trials with lobeline have been mixed and generally negative, and no long-term controlled studies of lobeline or lobelia for smoking cessation have been done.16 17
Other herbs used to treat anxiety are sometimes recommended as part of a smoking cessation program, including oat straw (Avena sativa), scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), and vervain (Verbena officinalis). Of these herbs, only oat straw has been investigated in human research for smoking cessation. At least three trials have reported no effect of oat straw on smoking cessation, but one controlled study in India found that taking 1 ml of an alcohol extract of oat straw QID significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day.18 19 20 21
Integrative Options
In the year 2000, the United States Public Health Service published updated smoking-cessation guidelines for doctors.22 This report identified counseling and behavioral therapies as proven effective components of a smoking-cessation program. Effective components include providing basic information about successful quitting, identifying factors that will increase the risk of relapse, and teaching problem-solving and coping skills. Also effective is social support provided either in a healthcare setting (for example, being able to talk about the quitting process with a doctor) or by strategies that teach the quitter to build a support network among friends, family, and the community. Guidelines issued in other countries have reached similar conclusions about the effectiveness of counseling and behavioral therapies.23 Government-sponsored, free counseling resources in North America include Quitline [800-QUIT-NOW] and SmokeFree (www.smokefree.gov). Group or individual counseling is often a component of successful smoking cessation programs offered in schools and the workplace.24 25
People tend to smoke more often under conditions of stress. Those who achieve long-term success in quitting smoking have been shown to have more social support and less stress than people who eventually relapse.26 Stress-reduction techniques that have been shown in controlled trials to be effective for assisting smoking cessation include self-massage, guided relaxation imagery, and exercise.27 28 29
Some research indicates that the effectiveness of acupuncture on abstinence from smoking is similar to that reported for nicotine chewing gum and behavioral therapy, and that these methods can complement each other.30 One controlled trial showed that daily cigarette consumption decreased more significantly during acupuncture treatment to points associated with smoking cessation than in fake acupuncture treatment (i.e., acupuncture applied to points not associated with smoking cessation). Altogether, 31% of subjects in the treatment group had quit smoking completely at the end of the treatment, compared with none in the control group.31 Electroacupuncture treatment to points on the ear has also been shown to aid in smoking cessation compared with fake ear acupuncture in a controlled trial.32 However, most clinical trials have not achieved comparable results. An analysis of 22 studies found that while acupuncture is often as effective as other smoking cessation techniques, its effectiveness does not last very long. Moreover, in most studies the overall effect of real acupuncture was no better on average than fake acupuncture for smoking cessation.33
A controlled clinical trial showed that people undergoing single hypnosis sessions smoked significantly fewer cigarettes and had a higher frequency of abstinence than a placebo control group.34 However, most clinical trials have not corroborated these results.35 A review of 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation concluded that hypnosis "cannot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessation."36
Interactions with Foods and Other Compounds
Food
Absorption of nicotine from nicotine gum requires mildly alkaline saliva.3 Acidic foods and beverages (coffee, colas, fruit, fruit juices, and others) may reduce nicotine absorption. This potential interaction may be avoided by chewing nicotine gum one hour before or after consuming acidic food and beverages.
Dr. Celeste Ruland
www.naturallyvital.net
Raise a Glass to Heart Health: Wine Boosts Omega-3s
By Maureen Williams, ND
Healthnotes Newswire (February 28, 2008)—It's been a few decades since scientists told us the surprising news that moderate amounts of alcohol was good for the heart, but the reasons for its benefits have remained unclear. Findings from a new study suggest one possible reason: people who drink wine might have higher levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, even if they don't eat many of the foods that contain them.
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish—EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—are known to reduce cardiac risk. The fact that eating fish and drinking alcohol have similar cardiovascular effects has led researchers to wonder if these substances might be working together.
The new study, published in the American Heart Journal, included 353 men. About half of the men were instructed to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in the plant omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, some of which the body is able to convert to EPA and DHA. The other half were instructed to eat a Western-style diet, which is typically very low in ALA. Men in both groups ate approximately the same amount of fish.
The men were divided into four groups based on their alcohol intake. Alcohol accounted for between zero and 17% of their total daily calories, and almost all of the alcohol they drank was wine.
After 27 months, EPA and DHA levels were higher in the men on the Mediterranean-style diet, and alcohol drinkers from both diet groups had higher levels of EPA and DHA than nondrinkers. Men who ate the Mediterranean-style diet and drank alcohol regularly had the highest levels. The findings suggest that alcohol, and particularly wine, might enhance the conversion of ALA to heart-healthy EPA and DHA.
Eat to boost your dietary ALA
According to Dr. Michel de Lorgeril from the School of Medicine at the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, and lead author of the study, the Mediterranean diet has many important characteristics, one of which is that it is rich in ALA. He cited several sources of this heart-healthy fatty acid:
• British walnuts
• Canola, flaxseed, and walnut oils
• Animal products such as eggs, meat, and milk products, from animals fed with nonindustrial foods (meaning no corn or wheat)
Other characteristics of a Mediterranean-style diet, Dr. de Lorgeril points out, include eating a diet that is:
• Low in saturated fat and omega-6 fatty acids
• Rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fermented milk products (preferably from goat), wine, monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil, and fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
Higher levels of EPA and DHA fatty acids in the body lead to lower blood pressure, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, higher HDL ("good") cholesterol, normal heart rhythms, and reduced risk of sudden cardiac death.
Drinking wine moderately may offer comparable benefits to eating fatty fish, according to the study's authors. "The fish-like effect resulting from the combination of an increased ALA intake and moderate wine drinking may represent a useful alternative to fish consumption in areas with low fish availability or in [people] that cannot consume fatty fish for any reason."
Healthnotes Newswire (February 28, 2008)—It's been a few decades since scientists told us the surprising news that moderate amounts of alcohol was good for the heart, but the reasons for its benefits have remained unclear. Findings from a new study suggest one possible reason: people who drink wine might have higher levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, even if they don't eat many of the foods that contain them.
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish—EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—are known to reduce cardiac risk. The fact that eating fish and drinking alcohol have similar cardiovascular effects has led researchers to wonder if these substances might be working together.
The new study, published in the American Heart Journal, included 353 men. About half of the men were instructed to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in the plant omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, some of which the body is able to convert to EPA and DHA. The other half were instructed to eat a Western-style diet, which is typically very low in ALA. Men in both groups ate approximately the same amount of fish.
The men were divided into four groups based on their alcohol intake. Alcohol accounted for between zero and 17% of their total daily calories, and almost all of the alcohol they drank was wine.
After 27 months, EPA and DHA levels were higher in the men on the Mediterranean-style diet, and alcohol drinkers from both diet groups had higher levels of EPA and DHA than nondrinkers. Men who ate the Mediterranean-style diet and drank alcohol regularly had the highest levels. The findings suggest that alcohol, and particularly wine, might enhance the conversion of ALA to heart-healthy EPA and DHA.
Eat to boost your dietary ALA
According to Dr. Michel de Lorgeril from the School of Medicine at the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, and lead author of the study, the Mediterranean diet has many important characteristics, one of which is that it is rich in ALA. He cited several sources of this heart-healthy fatty acid:
• British walnuts
• Canola, flaxseed, and walnut oils
• Animal products such as eggs, meat, and milk products, from animals fed with nonindustrial foods (meaning no corn or wheat)
Other characteristics of a Mediterranean-style diet, Dr. de Lorgeril points out, include eating a diet that is:
• Low in saturated fat and omega-6 fatty acids
• Rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fermented milk products (preferably from goat), wine, monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil, and fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
Higher levels of EPA and DHA fatty acids in the body lead to lower blood pressure, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, higher HDL ("good") cholesterol, normal heart rhythms, and reduced risk of sudden cardiac death.
Drinking wine moderately may offer comparable benefits to eating fatty fish, according to the study's authors. "The fish-like effect resulting from the combination of an increased ALA intake and moderate wine drinking may represent a useful alternative to fish consumption in areas with low fish availability or in [people] that cannot consume fatty fish for any reason."
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Dr Celeste @ Fitness Rising