Short Bouts of High-Intensity Exercise Before a Fatty Meal Good for Vascular Health

Consuming a high fat diet speeds up the process of atherosclerosis (thickening of the wall of the arteries) and makes some people more likely to develop vascular diseases. A healthy diet combined with an active and healthy lifestyle can effectively improve one's vascular health. Researchers at University of Exeter have revealed that short bouts of high-intensity exercise before a fatty meal are best for vascular health. They found it to be better at improving blood vessel function in young people than the currently recommended moderate-intensity exercise.

During the study, researchers compared high-intensity, interval exercise against moderate-intensity exercise on blood vessel function in adolescent boys and girls after they had consumed a high fat milkshake. They found that approximately 25 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling prevented the fall in blood vessel function after the high fat meal. However, just eight minutes of high-intensity cycling not only prevented this fall, but also improved blood vessel function to a level that was superior to moderate-intensity exercise.