You’ve probably heard that interval training can produce results similar to steady state running or cycling in about half the time. Depending on your goal, there are a couple different ways to approach this form of cardio. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compares what can be accomplished with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Sprint Interval Training (SIT).

On separate occasions, 4 active women and 8 men in their mid-20s did sprint intervals as 8 bouts of 30-second all-out pedaling on a stationary bike (SIT) or 8 minute-long sets of pedaling at 85% of capacity (HIIT). Oxygen consumption with higher but lactate buildup was lower with high-intensity intervals, allowing subjects to burn significantly more calories with a lower reported rate of perceived exertion.

True Strength Moment: Put this workout to the test to see if you can burn more calories on cardio day. And if weight loss is one of your goals, check out today’s Performance Blog post for some interesting research on dieting.