[Sportschosun Jang Jong-ho] A study has found that high-intensity exercise involving 30 seconds of all-out effort followed by four minutes of rest may be more beneficial to health than prolonged moderate-intensity exercise. In particular, short bursts of sprinting were shown to significantly alter blood proteins linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes
Researchers at Rockefeller University in the United States compared bodily changes according to exercise intensity. They found that 714 blood proteins changed significantly immediately after a short high-intensity interval workout consisting of six 30-second rounds, or a total of three minutes. That accounts for about one-quarter of all proteins analyzed in the study. More than 98% of those proteins increased in concentration right after exercise
The researchers said the difference was not simply due to exercise duration. High-intensity exercise creates a sudden and intense energy demand on the muscles and heart, and various tissues respond by sending signals to one another through the bloodstream
Proteins and metabolites released into the blood during exercise are collectively called exerkines. They are involved in energy metabolism, tissue repair, vascular function, and hormone signaling. In this study, proteins related to vascular function, tissue regeneration, and hormone signaling rose rapidly after the short sprint workout
One particularly notable finding was the change observed in fat cells. When the researchers treated human adipocytes with blood collected immediately after the short sprint workout, the cells’ gene activity changed dramatically. The team said this suggests exercise intensity can affect how fat cells use energy, respond to hormones, and sense nutrients
In fact, more than 1,600 genes in fat cells exposed to blood after the short sprint workout showed increased or decreased activity. By comparison, only 25 genes changed after exposure to blood taken following moderate-intensity exercise
The short sprint workout also increased metabolites known to be associated with appetite suppression after exercise
The researchers also compared health data from more than 53,000 people registered in the UK Biobank with the protein changes identified in the experiment. They found that many of the proteins altered by the short sprint workout were linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
In particular, 32 of 33 proteins associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes were changed by the short sprint workout. Only three of them changed after moderate-intensity exercise. The researchers also found that more than one-quarter of these proteins were associated with slower biological aging
Paul Cohen, a professor in Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism who led the study, said, “It is remarkable that just a few minutes of intense exercise can trigger such a massive molecular response.” He added, “The same phenomenon was observed even after eight weeks of adaptation training, suggesting that this is not merely a general stress response but a biological mechanism unique to high-intensity exercise.”
Luke Olson, the postdoctoral researcher who led the experiment, said, “It has long been known that the body adapts differently depending on exercise intensity, but the molecular mechanisms behind that have remained unclear.” He added, “This study shows that exerkines, the proteins and metabolites released into the blood after exercise, are extremely sensitive to exercise intensity and are a key to the health benefits of short, high-intensity workouts.”
However, caution is needed in applying these findings directly to the general public. The participants in the experiment were mainly young, healthy men, and the number of people who actually took part in the short sprint workout was small, at around 10. The researchers said further studies are needed to determine whether the same results appear in older age groups and in women. They also noted that sudden sprinting may place a burden on people with little exercise experience or those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
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