High-Intensity Interval Training vs. Superset Training: A Comparison of Energy Expenditure

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare energy expenditure between high intensity interval training (HIIT) and agonist-antagonist (SUPER) resistance training (RT) exercise protocols. Twelve males (23.91 ± 3.58 years) with at least six months of RT experience were recruited for the study. Each participant completed both exercise protocols while VO2, lactate, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. Significant differences were seen in RPE, RER, aerobic, anaerobic, and total overall energy expenditure when comparing protocols. There were no significant differences in VO2 or HR. Rest interval length and volume load can play a part in energy expenditure, but whether other variables are affected has yet to be shown when comparing HIIT to SUPER. In this study HIIT elicited a higher total energy expenditure than SUPER despite an overall shorter duration and a lower one-repetition maximum percentage for each exercise.