Study Finds Creatine Spares Muscle During High Intensity Interval Training

The widespread use of high-intensity interval training is relatively new, but that doesn't mean people aren't being very enthusiasitc about it. In fact, the opposite appears to be true - fitness enthusiasts are so excited about the prospect of a new method of cardiovascular exercise - one that erases the need to spend countless hours on the treadmill - that much of the fitness community has rushed to embrace it. Rather than following the traditional belief that the best way to shed body fat and improve body composition (outside of weight training) is to bring one's heart rate into a supposedly ideal "fat-burning zone" through low-intensity exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol involves alternating periods of lower intensity with all-out sprints, or maximum effort, periods. This burns countless calories and offers a great workout for the heart and lungs.

Not everyone is convinced that HIIT is the Holy Grail of cardiovascular exercise, however. Rather than embracing this novel technique, some people prefer to stick it out with low-intensity, steady-state sessions. Many of those who eschew HIIT do so because of its high intensity - not everyone is in adequate athletic condition to perform several bouts of HIIT per week in an effort to shed fat. In addition, more intense workouts can mean harder footfalls and increased stress on joints.

In some ways, HIIT can also be a bit inconvenient. While it takes less time with HIIT to burn the same amount of calories from a longer low-intensity workout, time isn't the only consideration. For the busiest fitness enthusiasts, a break during work might be the best (or only) opportunity to squeeze in a workout. And though at first HIIT seems perfectly suited to this problem, as it is more efficient and thus conducive to shorter sessions, the higher intensity also means one may be extremely exhausted or incredibly sweaty afterward. Arriving back at the office in either of these conditions, or a combination of both, isn't likely to be received very well. In such cases, a slow, steady walk or bike ride would be preferable to a sprint workout.

One of the biggest arguments against HIIT, though, is that it encourages muscle loss. The high intensity of such workouts can drain the body's reserves of energy rather quickly, resulting in muscle glycogen being used for fuel. For strength-training athletes especially, this is a major concern - sacrificing muscle along with fat is what they are trying to avoid at all costs. Thankfully, recent research from the latest issue of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition indicates that there is a way to prevent this from occurring.

The secret weapon? A familiar face in the supplement world: creatine. After just five days of supplementation, creatine resulted in a 33.59 percent higher concentration of glycogen in the gastrocnemius muscle after HIIT exercise compared to a placebo group. Based on this data, the researchers concluded that creatine had a potent muscle glycogen sparing effect during HIIT. Because creatine is one of the least expensive and highly effective supplements available today, this is good news for many strength-training enthusiasts.

SOURCE:

Roschel, H., et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2010; 7:6. doi:10.1186