High- or moderate-intensity training promotes change in cardiorespiratory fitness, but not visceral fat, in obese men: a randomised trial of equal energy expenditure exercise

ABSTRACT This study compared the effects of two exercise programs performed in different intensities, but equal overall energy expenditure (EE). Adult men with obesity (29.6 ± 4.9 years; BMI = 35.1 ± 3.3 kg/m 2 ) were randomised to one of three groups: High-intensity interval training (HIIT- 10 × 1:1 min 100% VO 2 max; n = 13); Moderate intensity continuous training (MICT - ˜35 min 65% VO 2 max; n = 13) or Control (no training; n = 6). The session EE (HIIT = 278.0 ± 37.1; MICT = 299.4 ± 17.8 kcal) was calculated by adding the aerobic contribution (VO 2 of the session minus VO 2 at rest) and anaerobic (difference between the VO 2 estimated and VO 2 measured in session). The anaerobic contribution in HIIT was 30%, showing that a substantial portion of the energy for 10 X 1 min HIIT comes from non-oxidative metabolism. VO 2 max improved in both trained groups ( p  =  0.006), while systolic blood pressure decreased ( p