Body composition matters when designing and prescribing HIIT protocols to individuals for health promotion

Many experimental studies use the quantification of aerobic and anaerobic ability as performance indicators and as injury rehabilitative measures. The measurement of aerobic performance can be quantified by the volume of oxygen consumed while exercising sub-maximally or at maximum capacity or intensity. Recently, high intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a sustainable and effective method for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). HIIT has been proven to produce equal or greater improvements in cardio respiratory fitness (CRF) when compared to moderate intensity continuous exercise. HIIT has been described as an intermittent exercise period of short intense training bouts interspersed by different recovery periods. Whether using continuous aerobic or intermittent anaerobic training protocols to develop increased exercise capacity, the quantification of the active muscle mass contributing to the measurement outcome is important. Here we suggest that outcome measures should be based on lean tissue mass and not total body composition when examining individual responses to aerobic and anaerobic training protocols.