Should i sprint or run

These fibers are smaller with lower force production, but are more resistant to fatigue. Sprinting, on the other hand, will recruit more of the fast twitch Type II muscle fibers.

These are larger and can provide more force production, but fatigue much more quickly. Untrained individuals have a fairly equal balance of both types of muscle fibers, however this can vary based on genetics. In addition, training modalities can impact the breakdown. If you want to read more about muscle fiber types, this journal article and this blog from NASM are great reads. This can be alleviated by fueling correctly before, during, and after exercise, and also mixing in strength training workouts each week.

Sprinting workouts appear to be more conserving of muscle mass by working those larger Type II fibers and utilizing different fueling pathways, so that is one potential benefit of incorporating sprinting workouts. You can often see these muscular differences by comparing the body types of elite sprinters versus elite endurance runners — though much of that is genetics. For example, according to Harvard Medical School , here are the calories burned for a pound person in minutes of running at the following speeds:.

An interesting study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at these issues. They compared three different workouts — keep in mind these were cycling workouts, but the same principles likely apply to a running modality:.

The calorie burn in the three hours following the workouts was higher among the sprint group. Despite the ample number of internet articles that claim sprinting will lead to more fat loss — the peer reviewed research has not universally supported this.

As you noticed above, calorie burn counts are fairly similar when both the workout and EPOC calories are considered. For example, a systematic review and meta-analysis in Obesity Reviews concluded that there was no difference in any body fat outcome between steady state exercise compared to high intensity or sprint interval exercise.

Similarly, another meta-analysis found no difference in the total body fat percentage differences between moderate and sprint exercises. And a third review found that low volume high intensity interval training did not have any additional benefit on body fat mass. Both types of exercise are good for heart health, though sprinting appears to edge out jogging a smidge. For example, a study in Sports Medicine found that interval training led to a greater improvement in brachial artery function compared to moderate intensity exercise.

And another study found that there were greater gains in VO2 max following high intensity interval training. Similarly, for patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation, a review found that interval training was more effective in improving cardiovascular fitness compared to moderate exercise source.

So while sprint workouts clearly require less active exercise time, they still require recovery in between that lengthens the workouts to a somewhat similar total time frame. However, by doing a sprint workout, you may be able to increase the intensity and challenge on your body in a shorter time frame compared to trying to achieve the same challenge by simply lengthening a steady state run.

That is where a time-savings benefit can come in when it comes to sprinting vs. Anyone currently recovering from an injury is best served easing back into a workout routine. Jogging at a comfortable pace helps maintain cardiovascular fitness, and allows the muscles and joints to work under a lower-pressure scenario.

With the right nutrition and recovery, sprinting can actually promote muscle building, allowing your body to become leaner. When you go for long runs or marathons you lose muscles, simply because your body is in action for longer duration.

But sprinting is different; it works in your favour. Sprinting is for a shorter duration, and your muscles get enough time to recover after the sprint action. Therefore it helps in building muscles, said Mr Bhadri.

There is no doubt that sprinting helps in burning a lot of calories in a short span of time. If you are wondering how, the answer is simple. When you sprint, you kick-start your metabolism that allows you to burn more calories even when you stop sprinting. Sprinting is not just about weight loss , but also comes with cardiovascular benefits. It can help lower your blood pressure. The fast-twitch muscles type II muscles that you are building while you sprint helps in improving your heart function.

When you do sprints, you put all your effort on your muscles making your heart pump harder, thus improving overall blood circulation. As a result, your heart is healthy and strengthens up which reduces your chances of heart disease. The other exciting benefit of sprints is its ability to naturally increase the production of human growth hormone HGH in your body, which also plays a significant role in weight loss and also slows down the aging process by enhancing the tissue growth in your body.

If u r above 40 then at least start jogging for 30 minutes for 6 month. Then only go for sprint otherwise it will seriously affect your leg and knee. Your email address will not be published. Inefficient arm movements lead to a loss of energy so keep the elbows bent at a degree angle. If you have a lower-body joint problem, sprints might aggravate your condition.

Your cardiovascular system must also work at a high capacity during sprints, so if you have cardiovascular disease, sprinting will not get you in better shape and might even be dangerous. It would be more harmful to you than a slower-paced jog, but always check with a doctor before doing any exercise. Sprinting and running can both help you lose weight. If you only have 20 minutes, you burn more calories with a sprint-and-walk interval than with a minute non-stop run.

Sprinting workouts incinerate more calories after the workout compared to steady running. Running for 45 minutes enhances your body's capacity to use fat as fuel instead of carbohydrates, improving your fat-burning capacity. By incorporating both types of training protocols, you can use sprinting or jogging for your heart health, improve your cardiovascular fitness and your body composition, getting in better shape, says Mayo Clinic.

Read more: How to Run Sprint Intervals. Anaerobic metabolism, or the conversion of the food you eat to energy your cells can use without oxygen, precedes aerobic metabolism, which uses oxygen to make energy.

Anaerobic metabolism occurs rapidly, as in sprinting, while the by-products of anaerobic metabolism are used in aerobic metabolism, as in running, if you continue to run. When you first start running, your body produces energy from anaerobic metabolism, according to ACE Fitness. As you continue to run past 3 minutes, your body makes energy from primarily aerobic metabolism.

If you sprint for 30 seconds then walk, your sprints are fueled by anaerobic metabolism. An enhanced anaerobic system augments your aerobic system, improving your fitness.