Interval exercise is a path to good health, but how much, how often and for whom?

Interval exercise training has now been examined in a wide variety of individuals, ranging from elite athletes to patients with severe cardiovascular disease. The advantages of interval exercise training programmes in comparison with constant intensity exercise programmes are that they appear to deliver superior improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors, fitness and performance. Depending on the design, some interval exercise programmes result in a range of benefits, even though the time commitment may be dramatically less than more traditional continuous intensity programmes. In the present issue of Clinical Science, a study by Tjønna and co-workers demonstrates that aerobic interval training may also be a powerful tool in combating the increased cardiovascular risk observed in overweight adolescents.