Lose Tummy Fat Faster

Sprint exercises can help men lose tummy fat faster than jogging, Australian researchers have found.

Associate Professor Steve Boutcher, from the University of New South Wales said that, "Just three 20-minute sprints a week on an exercise bike could cut a significant amount of abdominal fat, according to study."

After the 12-week exercise program, men had lost two kilograms of body fat, 17 per cent of visceral fat and gained 1.2kg of muscle in their legs and trunk.

Visceral fat is located in the abdominal cavity between organs including the stomach, liver, kidneys and intestines.

Other studies have shown men would need to jog for about seven hours a week for 14 weeks to lose the same amount of fat, said Assoc. Prof. Boutcher. "Sprints are a very time-efficient form of exercise."

"Participation in regular aerobic exercise typically results in little or no gain in muscle mass, whereas moderately hard resistance exercise over months may increase muscle mass," he said.

Previous studies on women by the same research team also resulted in significant body fat loss from exercise bike cycling in short spurts three times a week.

The 2007 study of overweight women found the group which alternated between eight seconds of sprinting followed by 12 seconds of light exercise over 20 minutes lost three times as much fat as other women who exercised at a continuous pace for 40 minutes.

The study involved a group of 45 overweight women who cycled three times a week over a 15-week period.

Visceral fat is more strongly associated with heart problems, diabetes and inflammatory conditions than subcutaneous fat, which is just below the skin.

Journal of Obesity, July 2012