Design of the Month

"Less pain, more gain" may become the new mantra for gym junkies. Taking a break during your workout may result in you burning more fat than the same amount of exercise without a break, according to a report from Kazushige Goto of the University of Tokyo, Japan, and his colleagues (Journal of Applied Physiology, DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.01302.2006).

They studied seven men with an average age of 25. On different days, the men did no exercise, exercised on stationary bikes for 1 hour, or exercised at the same intensity for two half-hour periods separated by a 20-minute rest. During the rest period, levels of free fatty acids in the men's blood increased rapidly, indicating that stored fat was being mobilised. The fatty acid levels were also higher in the second half-hour of exercise if this followed a rest period than when it was part of a continuous bout, and remained higher during the hour after exercise had finished.