Why sprinting is better than jogging

Your jogging pace is usually one that is much slower, less exhaustive, and can be maintained for many miles. Ah, the golden question. Deciding between jogging vs sprinting will depend on what you are hoping to accomplish with your fitness routine and workouts. Each type of activity has its own unique benefits, and when completed correctly, both can be incredibly beneficial for your health and training.

Sprinting is unique from other forms of running because it is primarily anaerobic. At this level of intensity, your body has to use its reserves to keep your muscles operating. A common question in regards to sprinting vs jogging or running is whether one or the other burns more calories.

At maximum intensity, your body breaks down glucose and extra calories from stored fat to maintain its pace and effort, as opposed to the simple, fast-acting sugars your body uses for jogging. Related: 1 Minute Running Interval Workout. The type of anaerobic exercise that occurs when sprinting might help burn fat at a higher rate than jogging.

In simple terms, our bodies are able to adapt to the slow, steady pace we maintain when jogging, thus requiring less energy or calories to maintain its efforts. When sprinting, your muscles are in a continuous state of fluctuation. The drastic changes in speed that occur when starting and stopping a sprint promote the flexibility of fast twitch muscle fibers, which has been shown to increase growth.

Whether you are hoping to burn fat, get faster , or simply improve your efficiency on the run, incorporating a few sprints into your regular jogging routine could have a huge impact on your fitness.

In contrast, jogging activates slow-twitch muscle fibers, which helps boost endurance with stabilizing effects. While jogging also helps burn calories, experts recommend sprinting as the best form of cardio for maintaining a healthy weight and staying in shape. Studies have shown you can burn calories in just two and a half minutes of high impact sprinting. When you sprint for 15 minutes, that amount adds up to calories burned. Another benefit of sprinting is EPOC , also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which allows the body to burn calories even after you've finished your workout.

When you go for short runs of high intensity, it utilizes all your energy and muscle power. It might be easier to jog, but you can achieve more results in a significantly shorter amount of time.

For example, one hour of cardio like jogging is equivalent to 10 sprints in 15 minutes. Not only is it just as effective for staying in shape, but it maximizes your workout in less than half the time. The intense aerobic power of sprinting makes it better than jogging, particularly when it comes to reducing abdominal fat, waist circumference, and overall weight. As certified strength and conditioning trainer Brandon Hall explains, sprint intervals burn visceral fat, which is stored in your abdomen and often is the most stubborn kind to eliminate.

If you are looking to tone your abs as part of your fitness goals, sprinting is definitely the way to go. However, the participants showed no improvement in their VO2 max, the amount of oxygen used during exercise.

This indicates that fitness improvement from sprint training comes in the form of muscular gain and energy production rather than cardiovascular improvements. To avoid injury, start gradually and practice on tired legs at the end of a run with to second high-speed intervals. Despite myths that running causes muscle loss or joint damage, jogging multiple miles can lead to a variety of health benefits.

In addition, working on building your stamina for multiple minutes, rather than seconds, teaches your body how to store and release energy as needed. Plus, running can even help us live longer.

In another study , scientists found that men who ran for 30 minutes a day were 50 percent less likely to die prematurely from cancer. Maximum Conditioning With Bodyweight Training.

Designed to help the body with cellular energy and cardiovascular endurance. Shop Now. Sign up for the Onnit Newsletter Your Email. Sign up for the Onnit Newsletter. Mentally and physically pushing my body to the limit has always been a major part of my life.

I was a promising high school athlete with dreams of playing college soccer. Unfortunately, I was forced to give it all up due to multiple injuries sustained on the field resulting in a series of complicated surgeries. Unwilling to abandon my dreams entirely, I shifted my focus towards helping others achieve their goals. I thought if I could understand what had happened to me and how to overcome it, I could train other athletes to reach their maximum potential while reducing their risk for injury through proper strength training and conditioning.

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