Liu, Y-S., & Hsieh, S. S. (2004). Effects of single bout long duration and multiple bouts short duration exercise on energy expenditure. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 36(5), Supplement abstract 1897.

This study examined the effects of a single bout of long duration (SL) exercise and multiple bouts of short duration (MS) exercise on energy expenditure. Healthy male senior high school students (N = 16) performed the same intensity (60% VO2max) and total work duration (30 minutes) exercise on two separate occasions. The SL exercise consisted of running one 30-minute bout on a treadmill, and the MS exercise consisted of three bouts of 10 minutes running on a treadmill. The rest period between bouts of the MS group was three hours.

The exercise energy expenditure for the SL exercise did not differ from MS. The post-exercise energy expenditure and the total energy expenditure for SL were significantly less than MS. The total energy expenditure from fat for SL was significantly less than MS.

Implication. Since MS exercise has a higher energy expenditure and uses more energy from fat, it is suggested that MS exercise is a better alternative than SL exercise for weight control. There might be advantages for athletes training with multiple bouts because more work can be experienced per day.

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