HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and has somewhat grabbed the headlines in recent years as a way for time-poor cyclists to get the most bang for their training buck – but is HIIT really a quick fitness fix?

As the name suggests, High Intensity Interval Training is a form of interval training which uses short periods of high intensity, anaerobic exercise followed by shorts periods of recovery. The length of the high intensity intervals ranges from between five seconds to eight minutes, while recovery periods are normally, but not always, equal to the length of the intensity.

Advocates of HIIT say that it offers both aerobic and metabolic benefits, bringing about similar physiological adaptations to a traditional, endurance-based training programme, but without the necessary time commitment, while also burning fat more effectively.

The key with HIIT is that the periods of intensity need to be above Functional Threshold Power or threshold heart rate (find out how to calculate yours), whereas the periods of recovery should be at around 50 per cent of maximum heart rate or between 50-60 per cent of FTP power.

Even if HIIT has grown in popularity recently, it isn’t a new phenomenon and this type of training has been around for a long time, with Lord Sebastian Coe one of the first athletes to apply this type of training at an elite level.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the benefits of HIIT, the effect on your body, the limitations of HIIT, it’s place within a balanced training programme and finish with an example of a High Intensity Interval Training session.