A recent study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B discovered that short bursts of walking or stair climbing can burn 20% to 60% more energy than consistent, sustained activity. Researchers from the University of Milan conducted the study with 10 participants averaging 27 years of age. Participants engaged in walking or stair climbing intervals, ranging from 10 to 240 seconds. By measuring their oxygen consumption, researchers found that short bouts consumed significantly more energy than steady activities. They noted that the increased energy expenditure occurred due to the body’s need to ramp up metabolic processes during brief, intense bursts.
The findings suggest that people aiming for higher exercise efficiency may benefit from incorporating shorter, more intense intervals rather than focusing on long, sustained workouts. However, Ryan Glatt, a brain health coach at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, highlighted that the results may vary depending on individual factors such as metabolism and exercise habits. Glatt explained that while high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may burn more calories due to frequent pauses, the study doesn’t conclusively support HIIT’s superiority over traditional exercises.
Dr. Christopher Schneble from Yale School of Medicine added that the study’s scope was limited, as it only examined short exercise periods of 10 seconds to 4 minutes. The data doesn’t apply broadly to all forms of exercise, especially those involving longer durations. Schneble also emphasized the lack of broad application due to the small sample size, suggesting that further research is needed to explore these results across more diverse age groups and fitness levels. Despite these limitations, the findings highlight the body’s unique metabolic response during the initial moments of short-burst activities.
