TABATA
It’s a HIIT!
by Michele Olson, Ph.D., FACSM, CSCS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Tabata and a variety of short HIIT formats are highly popular
intense forms of interval training. Research shows that Tabata and
short HIIT workouts can be used to increase both aerobic and
anaerobic fitness, promote fat loss, and even improve blood
pressure, insulin sensitivity, and glucose regulation in a relatively
short time. This article will detail Tabata and similar forms of
training and provide how-tos for implementing and designing
effective Tabata-style workouts.
Key words:
Training, Conditioning, Aerobic, Anaerobic, Fitness
A PRELUDE TO TABATA V THE EARLY STUDIES
U
sually, it’s the music, movie, or fashion
industry that evolves one-name iconic
identities such as ‘‘Madonna,’’ ‘‘Bono,’’
or ‘‘Oprah.’’ But, even nonexercisers are fully
aware of the name ‘‘Tabata’’ and the sweat and
exercise effort that the name implies! So, it is
interesting that it was 18 years ago when
Dr. Izumi Tabata from the University of
Ritsumeikan in Japan published the results of a
high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol
that incorporated brief, supramaximal, 20-second
intervals into a 4-minute exercise bout. Although
just 4 minutes in duration, Tabata yielded a
notable improvement in aerobic fitness (10).
Another early, yet still frequently referred to,
HIIT study that also showed marked changes in
fitness dates back to 1994 (13). In this study,
despite doing shorter exercise sessions that
actually burned less calories, the group that did
HIIT sessions lost substantially more body fat
compared with a second group of participants
who trained for longer durations doing steady-
state, continuous, endurance exercise (ET).
Although somewhat controversial, lead author
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Copyright © 2014 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., stated in the discus-
sion section of the published article that the
decrease in fat, when adjusted for the disparity
in caloric expenditure, ‘‘was ninefold greater’’ in
the HIIT group compared with the ET group.
The article emphasized further that, even when
the total calorie burn is the same, fat loss will
be greater when the intensity of exercise is high
(see Sidebar, How Tabata and HIIT Burn Fat).
HOW TABATA AND HIIT BURN FAT
1. Calories are burned fast and fat release is
increased by the rise in epinephrine.
2. Calorie burning and fat oxidation also
remain elevated after intense 20-second
rounds of intervals.
The results of Dr. Tabata’s study were
similar to Dr. Tremblay’s in that the improve-
ments experienced by the 4-minute HIIT group
were remarkable given the mark of the 4-minute
exercise sessions. Comparing changes in cardi-
orespiratory fitness (as measured by oxygen
uptake, V̇O2max) between the Tabata (HIIT)
group and a group that did 60-minute ET
sessions, the Tabata group experienced similar
significant increases in fitness despite spending
much less time engaged in exercise. For
accuracy, it should be noted that the HIIT
group did the 4-minute supramaximal interval
sessions 4 times a week at 170% of V̇O2max and
also performed one 30-minute endurance ses-
sion on a separate day each week. The ET
participants did their sessions at a moderate
intensity (70% of V̇O2max) for 60 minutes 5 days
per week. Like the 1994 study of Tremblay
et al., the weekly amount of exercise undertaken
in Tabata’s HIIT group was remarkably lower at
only 46 minutes compared with 300 minutes for
the ET group.
Although these studies were published about
20 years ago, their counterintuitive results were
ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA 17
Tabata
clearly precursors for prompting more research on HIIT. These initial
studies also served as models for HIIT strategies and techniques that
are used more than ever in the real world of fitness today. Table 1
presents a number of HIIT studies and shows the changes in
cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition (5,10,11,13). Within,
and even across studies, the changes in V̇O2max are quite similar.
Once again though, it is important to remember that the HIIT groups,
like the subjects in the Tabata study, did substantially less exercise
and expended fewer calories than the ET groups. Therefore, the
contention that Tabata and HIIT could produce similar or even
superior changes in fitness, and do it fast, was demonstrated early on.
Both the Tabata and Tremblay studies (as well as many to follow)
used stationary cycles equipped with ergometers for training. Cycles
with calibrated ergometers (i.e., work meters) can measure and
regulate exercise intensity accurately, which ensure that athletes or
research participants exercise at a very precise and individually
based exercise intensity. The precision to which exercise intensity
is monitored closely and maintained is related directly to the
newsworthy changes in fitness and study outcomes. The original
Tabata protocol, as noted previously, was done with a
supramaximal effort. Each participant performed 8 rounds of
20-second HIIT intervals at 170% of V̇O2max with 10 seconds of
downtime. Especially at this intensity, an aerobic-type modality
able to measure work performed is necessary to ensure that the
exercise effort put forth by each individual is 70% higher than
the maximum aerobic power, which is a full-on anaerobic effort!
Given this level of intensity, Tabata found that the HIIT group not
only experienced significant improvements in aerobic fitness but
incurred major strides in anaerobic power too. In fact, the group
who did ET showed no change in anaerobic fitness, whereas the
HIIT group exhibited a 28% improvement in anaerobic fitness.
TABATA OR HIIT?
Although often used interchangeably, HIIT stands for ‘‘high-
intensity interval training’’ and is a model of ramped up aerobic
conditioning done close to maximum exercise intensity, that is,
equal to or greater than 90% V̇O2peak (4). Competitive athletes,
to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic endurance while
matching the intensity and rapid bioenergetic shifts that
frequently occur in sports and competition, commonly use
TABLE 1: Comparative Fitness Changes for ET, Tabata, and HIIT
Cardiovascular Fitness
Author (Year) ET HIIT
Tabata et al. (1996) 9% increase 13% increase
Tremblay et al. (1994) 24% increase 20% increase
Trapp et al. (2008) 17% increase 21% increase
Helgerud et al. (2007) 5% increase 7.2% increase
ET indicates endurance training; HIIT, high-intensity interval training; NS, not studied.
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HIIT. However, in a 2013 study, nonathletes who did one short,
intense, 4-minute bout on treadmills at 90% of heart rate max,
3 times a week, significantly increased cardiorespiratory
fitness by 10%. No adverse events were reported (12).
Specifically, HIIT workouts generally alternate ‘‘effort’’ or
‘‘burst’’ intervals, typically ranging between approximately 10
and 60 seconds, with ‘‘recovery’’ or ‘‘rest’’ intervals. Recovery
intervals can vary but most often also span 10 to 60 seconds. In
addition, the nature of the recovery intervals can range from full
rest, which is during Tabata (2,10,13), or be composed of low-
to moderate- intensity movement (e.g., 4). See Table 2.
Because cycle ergometers and treadmills can both be set at precise
intensity levels, they are ideal for research and serious conditioning
where pinpoint precision is a must (i.e., 5,8,10,11,13,14). Consider
the original Tabata format that imposed an intensity effort of 170%
maximum. That intensity would be virtually impossible to
reproduce without specialized equipment and also be unnecessarily
intense for nonathletes (Tabata used Olympic speed skaters in his
study). Likewise then, the changes in fitness found in well-
controlled scientific HIIT studies like the Tabata study may not
always be duplicated in fitness and health club settings. This is
important because Tabata is often promoted and advertised in the
media to produce incredible changes in fitness based on the
original study. Yet, most trainers and health clubs actually are using
modified forms of Tabata that elicit an intensity far below 170% of
V̇O2max. For instance, two Tabata-style formats developed and
tested in 2013 by Olson (9) and Emberts et al. (3) were found to
produce intensities of 95% and 74% of V̇O2max, respectively.
Although these modified formats are sufficiently intense to
promote fitness effectively in a short time, it would be erroneous
to assume that the changes induced with power intensities would
parallel those seen for the original Tabata protocol directly.
However, trainers readily can use the Tabata-style format
and/or many scientifically established HIIT protocols as models
to develop realistic interval programs using common gym
equipment. For instance, Dr. Melanie Hood’s team developed
and tested a 20-minute format alternating 60 seconds of aerobic
cardio exercise at an intensity of approximately 80% of heart
rate reserve (80% to 95% range) with 60 seconds of recovery
(6) for 10 rounds. Using a heart rate monitor, this format could
Body Composition
ET HIIT
NS NS
No change sum of six skinfolds Significant decrease sum of six skinfolds
No change in percent body fat Significant decrease in percent body fat
No change in body mass Significant decrease in body mass
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 TABLE 2: Published Research on HIIT, Tabata, and Tabata-Style Formats
Author (Year) Effort:Recovery Intervals Intensity Exercise Volume Modality

Tabata et al. (1996)+ 20:10 seconds Tabata 170% of max 4 minutes Cycle ergometer
Tremblay et al. (1994)* Short 30:HR 125 BPM 70% to 90% max 15 rounds Cycle ergometer
Long 90:HR 125 BPM 70% to 90% max 4 to 5 rounds Cycle ergometer
Trapp et al. (2008)** 8:12 seconds 960% max 20 minutes Cycle ergometer
Burgomaster et al. (2008)+ 30:270 seconds Supramax Wingate’s 4 to 6 rounds Cycle ergometer
Zong et al. (2013)*** 20:10 seconds Tabata 170% of max 3.5 minutes Cycle + treadmill
Little et al. (2010) 60:75 seconds 95% of max 8 to 12 rounds Cycle ergometer
Olson (2013) 20:10 seconds Tabata-style 95% of max 4 minutes Squat jumps
Hood et al. (2011) 60:60 seconds 80% to 95% HRR 20 minutes Cycle ergometer
Emberts et al. (2013) 20:10 seconds Tabata-style 74% of max 16 minutes Body weight circuits
+
Studies used anaerobic or supramaximal interval training.
*Participants did shorter 30-second effort intervals alternated by days composed of longer 90-second effort intervals. HR was allowed to drop to approximately
125 BPM before starting the next round.
**Participants’ initial exercise intensity was 60% of max, which was increased individually throughout the study based on a plateau in exercise HR at each level
of intensity.
***Participants alternated cycle ergometry with treadmill ergometry for each round.

be used readily with a variety of aerobic-type exercises and
machines such as running/jogging, elliptical trainers, electronic
stair steppers, jump ropes, spin cycles, aerobic step-up benches,
and so on. See Table 2, which shows the exercise equipment/
modalities that were used by the protocols (3,9).
AEROBIC OR ANAEROBIC?
As previously noted, the intensity of HIIT is well above moderate at
approximately 90% of V̇O2max or higher. ‘‘Supra’’ intense
(supramaximal) formats include not only the original Tabata
format but also the formats developed and studied by Burgomaster
et al. (2) and Zong et al. (14) (Table 2). Because supramaximal
protocols are done with a full-on anaerobic effort, the actual
volume of exercise is almost shockingly low V between approxi-
mately 4 and 12 minutes. In sport training and conditioning,
athletes who must perform repeated bursts with an all-out effort
can benefit from these supramaximal HIIT protocols such as
Tabata because they match the athletes’ more extreme perfor-
mance needs and improve both aerobic and all-important
anaerobic fitness.
Table 2 illustrates that many HIIT formats can require less
than a maximal or supramaximal Tabata-like effort. For instance,
exercise physiologists Little et al. (8) and Hood et al. (6) adapted
the pure anaerobic format by Burgomaster et al. (2) by reducing
the intensity and increasing the length of the effort intervals from
30 seconds to 60 seconds. Olson used body weight squat jumps
with the Tabata 20-second effort and 10-second rest format. All
three of these modified formats (6,8,9), although not
supramaximal, are not ‘‘soft,’’ though, on intensity. Table 2 shows
that these three formats can produce a high intensity effort (80% to
95% of max) and are labeled more appropriately ‘‘aerobic’’
interval training formats because they do not rely on a 100%+
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supramaximal Tabata anaerobic effort. The aerobic HIIT formats
also can prove more ‘‘user-friendly’’ and suitable for the general
fitness setting while still being quite economical on time requiring
no more than minutes to complete. The following section provides
more detail and examples of Tabata and HIIT strategies that
combine good science with effective and more achievable formats.
As always, any intense workout, like Tabata, should be preceded by
a proper warm-up and cool-down (see Sidebar, Prepare to Tabata).
PREPARE TO TABATA
First, break a sweat! Incorporate a 10-minute dynamic warm-up with
jumping jacks, jogging in place, or similar multimuscle activities
before tackling 8 rounds of 20-second Tabata intervals.
TABATA HITS THE GYM
Classes and workouts ranging from Tabata Boot Camps to Tabata
Spin and Tabata circuit classes are multiplying. The exercise
video market and many magazines regularly feature Tabata-style
programs that can be done in the gym, at a fitness park, or even at
home. The 20/10-second effort/rest Tabata format is simple, and
the 4-minute bout makes it easy to organize when creating
workouts that have multiple, submaximal, 4-minute bouts. For
example, the Tabata-style format developed and tested by
Emberts et al. (3), although not requiring the intensity of the
original Tabata protocol (74% of max vs. 170% of max), has
four circuits. Although the intensity also is lower than the 90%
of maximum criterion generally afforded for aerobic HIIT (4),
Emberts’ workout is a robust 16-minute circuit-like format that
burns an appreciable number of calories and includes a variety
of exercises nicely grouped into 4-minute segments. Here are
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Tabata

two of the four bouts featured in the report that first featured
this particular Tabata-style circuit workout (3).
Specifically, each exercise in a segment is done for 20 seconds
at high effort, followed by 10 seconds of downtime, then
repeated. All segments last 1 minute and are separated by just
10 seconds. After an entire (4-minute) bout is completed, there is
a 1-minute rest period before starting the next bout.
Bout 1
Segment 1: High Knee Run
Segment 2: Plank Punch
Segment 3: Jumping Jacks
Segment 4: Side Skaters
Bout 2 Spider push-up 1.

Segment 1: Jump Rope

Segment 2: In/Out Boat
Segment 3: Line Jumps
Segment 4: Push-ups
The average heart rate for this Tabata-style workout was
86% of max, and the metabolic equivalents (METS) were 9.3
for the female participants and 10.6 for the male participants.
The rate of caloric expenditure averaged about 15.0 kcalIminj1.
Olson’s workout is a higher-intensity Tabata-style format.
The 20-second effort intervals required an average intensity of
95% of V̇O2max using just one exercise: full-out body weight
squat jumps. The energy cost for this workout was 13.8 METS
with a calorie burn of 13.5 kcalj1Iminj1. Unlike the study
Spider push-up 2.
by Emberts et al., which had a more even mix of men and
women, Olson’s study included just two male participants and

Photos courtesy of Auburn University Montgomery.

Bike sprints. Squat jump 1.

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 Photos courtesy of Auburn University Montgomery.
Squat jump 2.
13 women. Therefore, when corrected for the difference in body
weight for men versus women and the difference in intensity
between the studies of Emberts et al. and Olson, a woman
weighing 140 lbs would burn approximately 11.1 calories per
minute with the Tabata-style circuit workout of Emberts et al.
and 12.2 calories per minute with Olson’s body weight squat
jump format. For a heavier male body weight (i.e., 185 lbs), the
calories expended would be about 15.5 per minute for the workout
of Emberts et al. and 16.1 per minute for Olson’s 4-minute squat
jump format. Both formats exceed the minimum recommendations
Treadmill sprints.
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Jump rope.
for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and modifying body
composition. The intensity of Olson’s format is clearly in the HIIT
range (990% of max). However, the format of Emberts et al. is
longer, using multiple 4-minute bouts, which yields a higher total
caloric expenditure. These Tabata-style workouts and their diversity
in intensity, duration, and exercise movements illustrate how
trainers can select and organize a range of Tabata-inspired
workouts depending on the needed intensity, such as training a
‘‘Weekend Warrior,’’ competitive athlete, or apparently healthy
adult whose quest is improved health and better overall fitness.
Lunge jump 1.
ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA 21
Tabata
Photos courtesy of Auburn University Montgomery.
Lunge jump 2.
In Table 3, two 4-minute Tabata-style sequences that combine
exercises from Tabata’s, Emberts’, and Olson’s formats are
provided. These sequences provide options that include both
conventional gym equipment and lower-tech body weight exercise
with small portable devices. A single 4-minute bout using a more
intense sequence (i.e., alternating just plyometric body weight
squat jumps and skater leaps) could be done as a fast aerobic-type
exercise option or to ‘‘finish off’’ a moderate-intensity workout session.
As stand-alone HIIT workouts, the sequences could be repeated or
combined for workouts that are 8 minutes, 12 minutes, or 16 minutes
in duration. Ideally, each exercise would be done with an all-out
as-many-repetitions-as-possible effort in the attempt to reach ‘‘failure’’
by the end of each 20-second effort bout. See Table 2 and photos.
Speed skater 1.
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Speed skater 2.
Other viable options can include sprints on tracks, treadmills,
or fitness cycles, as well as stair running, bleacher running, fast
lap swimming, and pool running. In addition, the format by
Zong et al. (14), who is a graduate student of Dr. Tabata, combined
a stationary cycle and treadmill. A 20-second all-out effort is
completed on a stationary cycle, and the next 20-second effort interval
is done on a treadmill. This format provides yet another valid option
and the combination of cycling and treadmill running could prove
quite useful to a triathlete because of the specificity of modalities.
HEALTH OR HAZARDOUS?
Although somewhat counterintuitive, a growing number of
fitness experts are suggesting that HIIT and short, intense,
Tabata-length 20-second intervals be considered as a strategy to
improve health and cardiometabolic risk factors. Newer
Squat overhead press 1.
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 Photo courtesy of Auburn University Montgomery.
the muscles are able to use greater amounts of fat for fuel,
which, in turn, reduces the risk of cardiovascular and related
cardiometabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Therefore,
the overall impact of supershort 3- and 4-minute Tabata-style
workouts on metabolism is not only a greater efficiency in
energy expenditure but also the ability to use fat effectively
even at rest is increased.

THREE MINUTES A WEEK

The Timmons’ Thrice-Weekly 20-Second Recipe
1. Spin moderately to warm up.
2. Go all-out for Tabata-style for 20 seconds.
3. Spin moderately for 2 minutes and repeat twice more.

During short 20-second effort intervals, Dr. Timmons

Squat overhead press 2.
research on nonathletic individuals shows that metabolic rate,
fat oxidation, abdominal fat, insulin action, blood glucose, and
blood pressure can be impacted effectively by HIIT (1,6,11,12).
Dr. Tabata, who also has been researching the effects of his
protocol on insulin, has stated that ‘‘everyone can do it, but
beginners should start with educated trainers so that they can
work at the correct intensity for them’’ (7).
Similar to Dr. Tabata’s 4-minute protocol, a report featuring
the work of Dr. Jamie Timmons (1) from the United Kingdom
showed that extremely short sessions with 20-second Tabata-
length intervals, amounting to just 3 minutes of exercise a
week, substantially impacts the action of insulin (see Sidebar,
Three Minutes a Week). When insulin works more effectively,
asserts that much more body mass is used (compared with
slower less intense exercise) such as the legs, hips, trunk, core,
and shoulder girdle, creating a calorie inferno with more fat
utilization, which persists after the short intense workout.
Known as the excessive postexercise oxygen consumption
(EPOC), often called the ‘‘after burn,’’ the Tabata-style all-out
body weight squat jump study (9) showed that the
participants’ caloric expenditure in the initial half hour after
the brief 4-minute bout was double the calories burned
before exercise. Dr. Tabata has found more recently that
150 extra calories are burned during a 12-hour period after
Tabata (7). The extra caloric expenditure and fat burning
resulting from Tabata clearly show the additional impact that
Tabata workouts can have in not only promoting cardio-
respiratory fitness and weight loss but in qualitatively
impacting cardiometabolism and related health risks and
risk factors.
In summary, Tabata and Tabata-style formats are continu-
ing to increase in use and popularity in many settings. Trainers

TABLE 3: Two Tabata-Style HIIT Sequences

Sequence Exercise Repeats Effort:Recovery Modifications Equipment
Sequence 1 Bike sprints 2 times 20:10 seconds Perform seated Bike
Spider push-up 2 times 20:10 seconds Perform from knees None/mat
Squat jumps 2 times 20:10 seconds Squat and explode without jumping None
Treadmill sprints 2 times 20:10 seconds Perform fast walking Treadmill
One-minute macro break
Sequence 2 Lunge jump right 1 time 20:10 seconds Lunge and explode without jump None/mat
Lunge jump left 1 time 20:10 seconds Lunge and explode without jump None/mat
High knees rope 2 times 20:10 seconds Keep feet low/mimic rope use Jump rope
Squat overhead press 2 times 20:10 seconds Do not use weights Dumbbells
Speed skater 2 times 20:10 seconds Touch opposite knee None

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Copyright © 2014 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Tabata
and health fitness specialists should consider the needs, goals,
and appropriateness of Tabata when using it with athletes,
nonathletes, and those who may have health risks. Further-
more, the additional health benefits afforded by Tabata-style
HIIT workouts also should be considered when designing the
format. Those who can benefit from this particular version of
HIIT may extend beyond individuals who simply desire to
improve their fitness fast. For those who have body weight
concerns as well as risk factors for and/or facets of
compromised cardiometabolic health, Tabata could very well
be a ‘‘hit.’’
References
1. Babraj JA, Vollaard NBJ, Keast C, Guppy FM, Cottrell G, Timmons JA.
Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially
improves insulin action in young healthy males. BMC Endocr Disord.
2009;9(3):1Y24.
2. Burgomaster KA, Howarth KR, Phillips M, et al. Similar metabolic
adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and
traditional endurance training in humans. J Physiol. 2008;586:151Y60.
3. Emberts T, Porcario JP, Steffen J, et al. Is Tabata all it’s cracked up to be?
ACE Prosource. 2013;Oct:1Y4.
4. Gibala MJ, McGee SL. Metabolic adaptations to short-term high-intensity
interval training: a little pain for a lot of gain? Exerc Sport Sci Rev.
2008;36(2):58Y63.
5. Helgerud J, Hoydal K, Wang E, et al. Aerobic high-intensity intervals
improve V̇O2max more than moderate training. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2007;39(4):665Y71.
6. Hood MS, Little JP, Tarnopolsky MA, et al. Low-volume interval
training improves muscle oxidative capacity in sedentary adults. Med Sci
Sports Exerc. 2011;43(10):1849Y56.
7. Ingle S. The Tabata workout programme: harder, faster, fitter, quicker?
The Guardian [Internet]. 2013 [cited March 24, 2014]. Available from:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/25/tabata-harder-faster-
fitter-quicker.
8. Little JP, Safdar AS, Wilkin GP, et al. A practical model of low-volume
high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in
human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms. J Physiol. 2010;588:
1011Y22.
9. Olson M. Tabata interval exercise: energy expenditure and post-exercise
responses. In: Proceedings of the 60th ACSM Annual Meeting and 4th
World Congress on Exercise is Medicine. Indianapolis (IN): ACSM;
2013:171.
10. Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. Effects of moderate-intensity
endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity
and V̇O2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28(10):1327Y30.
11. Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, et al. The effects of high-intensity
intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels in
young women. Int J Obes. 2008;32:684Y91.
12. Tjonna AE, Leinan IM, Bartnes AT, et al. Low- and high-volume of
intensive endurance training significantly improves maximal oxygen
uptake after 10 weeks of training in healthy men. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(5):
365282.
13. Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. Impact of exercise intensity on
body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metab Clin Exp. 1994;43(7):
814Y8.
24 ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA | www.acsm-healthfitness.org
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14. Zong YU, Y, Tsuji K, Iemitsu M, et al. Effects of two days with
high-intensity intermittent cross training on maximal oxygen uptake.
In: Proceedings of the 60th ACSM Annual Meeting and 4th World
Congress on Exercise is Medicine. Indianapolis (IN): ACSM; 2013:171.
Recommended Readings
Boutcher S. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes.
2011;2011:868305 [Epub 2010 Nov 24].
Disclosure: The author declares no conflicts of interest and
does not have any financial disclosures.
Michele Olson, Ph.D., FACSM, CSCS, is a
professor of exercise physiology at Auburn
University Montgomery and a primary inves-
tigator at the Scharff-Olson Kinesiology Labo-
ratory where her research has focused on the
energy cost of well-known activities, including
spinning, step aerobics, Pilates, and Tabata.
Olson also has published electromyographic
studies on yoga, Pilates, and programs marketed to train the core
and abs. Her interest in body image includes research on eating
disorders in active women and exercise leaders.
BRIDGING THE GAP
Tabata, like HIIT, is an exercise format that alternates
relatively brief periods of intense exercise, often called
‘‘effort’’ intervals, with periods of rest or less-intense
exercise, known as ‘‘recovery’’ intervals. Tabata is one of
the most popular forms of shorter HIIT workouts and was
first popularized by Dr. Izumi Tabata. Dr. Tabata coupled
20 seconds of ‘‘supramaximal’’ anaerobic effort with just 10
seconds of recovery for 8 rounds, making the exercise
session quite short. At just 4 minutes in duration, Tabata’s
research showed that this exercise protocol delivers
impressive changes in fitness. Modified Tabata workouts
that range between 4 and 20 minutes in duration can be
less intense but still robust (i.e., 74% to 95% of max) such
as Tabata-style circuits. Research shows that Tabata and
HIIT produce similar changes in cardiovascular fitness, have
the potential to improve body composition, and can even
ameliorate risk factors such as insulin action in far less time
compared with traditional, moderate-intensity, steady-state
30- to 40-minute cardio sessions. When implementing
Tabata and Tabata-style HIIT workouts, trainers should
determine the appropriateness of this intense type of
interval training for a given client or group and select the
volume, intensity, and specific exercise activities that best
match the needs and capabilities of the participant(s).
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