Short sets of intensive exercises - an effective tool for maintaining a good physical shape, say researchers at the Karolinska Institute.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is popular among professional sportsmen and amateurs, as they have clear advantages in comparison with other sports. Swedish scientists confirmed that even short intensive training increases the production of mitochondria in cells, which increases the endurance of muscles.

Samples of the muscles of volunteers, trained 6 times for 30 seconds with short breaks between sets, showed that the process of cell change did occur. Thus, even a few minutes of intense activity maintain a good physical shape of the trainee.

Three-minute active training destroys the calcium channels in muscle cells, explained the author of the study Dr. Hakan Westerblad. This process causes long-term changes: while cells restore calcium channels, new mitochondria are formed. However, antioxidants, in particular, vitamins E and C, violate this process, and consequently, inhibit the muscle response to training.

medicinform. net.