Who Fares Better In High-Intensity Training? You Guessed It, Men!
It figures. High-intensity training works for older men, but not for older women.
According to a new study, researchers focused on obese senior males and females 62 and older. The subjects were assigned a regimen of high-intensity exercise that occurred three times per week for six weeks. Each session included five one-minute bursts of exercise performed at 125 percent of a measurement of how how cells metabolize energy.
A different type of scoring was used to measure the subjects’ muscle and abdominal fat, along with how the cells used this energy, body composition and several other metabolic measurements before and after the exercise regimens were performed.
While males increased both the ways their cells metabolize energy and other measurements of the fat in their muscles, they were able to reduce their body fat percentage by the end of the six weeks. But no changes were seen in females. The researchers did note, however, that one measurement of female capacity in abdominal fat was higher to begin with.
We've all heard the old story that women need their fat to bear children. But come on. Why do we have to kill ourselves to lose an inch around our waists? I've seen my husband drop 20 pounds in a month. It's taken me over 3 years to lose that amount (of course, I do love those M&Ms!).
Maybe they just make better choices. A friend separates "stomach-icular" hunger from "head-iculat" hunger. In other words, many of us -- myself, included -- eat not because we're hungry but because we're anxious or scared or angry or any number of other emotions (my favorite diet book from the '70s - "It's Not What You're Eating, It's What Eating You").
I hate to base it on gender but maybe men don't feel this way? Or maybe they can make better choices when they're feeling frustrated or upset. Who knows? I'm just so glad I can now give up those sprints.
According to a new study, researchers focused on obese senior males and females 62 and older. The subjects were assigned a regimen of high-intensity exercise that occurred three times per week for six weeks. Each session included five one-minute bursts of exercise performed at 125 percent of a measurement of how how cells metabolize energy.
A different type of scoring was used to measure the subjects’ muscle and abdominal fat, along with how the cells used this energy, body composition and several other metabolic measurements before and after the exercise regimens were performed.
While males increased both the ways their cells metabolize energy and other measurements of the fat in their muscles, they were able to reduce their body fat percentage by the end of the six weeks. But no changes were seen in females. The researchers did note, however, that one measurement of female capacity in abdominal fat was higher to begin with.
We've all heard the old story that women need their fat to bear children. But come on. Why do we have to kill ourselves to lose an inch around our waists? I've seen my husband drop 20 pounds in a month. It's taken me over 3 years to lose that amount (of course, I do love those M&Ms!).
Maybe they just make better choices. A friend separates "stomach-icular" hunger from "head-iculat" hunger. In other words, many of us -- myself, included -- eat not because we're hungry but because we're anxious or scared or angry or any number of other emotions (my favorite diet book from the '70s - "It's Not What You're Eating, It's What Eating You").
I hate to base it on gender but maybe men don't feel this way? Or maybe they can make better choices when they're feeling frustrated or upset. Who knows? I'm just so glad I can now give up those sprints.
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