Mixed
Work-equivalent High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) produce comparable reductions in abdominal visceral fat area (AVFA) and total fat mass in obese young women over 12 weeks.
If you are obese and want to lose visceral fat, you can choose either High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). The key is to match the total work done (energy expended). If you choose HIIT, you will finish your workout faster, but you will lose the same amount of belly fat as if you exercised for a longer duration at a moderate pace. Ensure you maintain your diet and do not increase your overall daily activity outside of these workouts.
Following HIIT and MICT, comparable reductions in AVFA (−9.1, −9.2 cm2), ASFA (−35, −28.3 cm2), and total fat mass (−2.8, −2.8 kg) were observed... No variable changed in CON. In conclusion, MICT consisting of prolonged sessions has no quantitative advantage, compared with that resulting from HIIT, in abdominal visceral fat reduction.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a control group, objective imaging (CT/DEXA), and high adherence, though limited to a specific demographic (young obese women).
Source
Comparable Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Prolonged Continuous Exercise Training on Abdominal Visceral Fat Reduction in Obese Young Women
Haifeng Zhang et al. · Journal of Diabetes Research · 2017
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