TL;DR
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In a six-month study of 123 healthy adults with an average age of 72, high-intensity interval training reduced fat without the small decline in lean tissue reported in the moderate-intensity group. The researchers described the changes as modest and cautioned that their clinical importance is uncertain; the study did not directly measure muscle strength.
A six-month exercise trial of 123 healthy older adults found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) reduced fat while maintaining measured lean tissue, unlike moderate-intensity exercise, which was associated with a small decline in lean mass. The University of the Sunshine Coast researchers said the changes were modest, and the scans did not measure muscle strength directly.
Participants, who had an average age of 72 and lived in the Greater Brisbane region, were assigned to high-intensity intervals, moderate-intensity exercise or a low-intensity comparison group. They attended three supervised 45-minute gym sessions each week for six months. Researchers assessed body composition at the start, after three months and at the end of the trial using scans that estimate fat and lean tissue.
Both the HIIT and moderate-intensity groups reduced fat mass by more than the low-intensity group. The difference was in lean tissue: the moderate group had a small decline, while the HIIT group did not show the same decline. Lead author and exercise physiologist Dr. Grace Rose said: “We found that high, medium and low intensity exercises all led to modest fat loss but only HIIT retained lean muscle.”
The report also said both high- and moderate-intensity exercise improved the composition of weight carried around the middle, including reductions in visceral adipose tissue. The researchers said further analysis was needed for the low-intensity results. Visceral fat is stored around internal organs; however, the study’s body-composition findings should not be read as proof of a specific health benefit for each participant.
Why Lean Tissue Matters With Age
The study compared changes in body composition, which can differ from changes in weight or body mass index alone. A person can lose weight while also losing lean tissue, so measures of fat and lean mass provide additional information about body composition. Lean tissue includes muscle, which supports movement and physical function, but this trial did not establish that participants became stronger or more independent.
The findings do not show that HIIT is suitable for everyone or that it is clearly superior in clinically meaningful ways. The reported differences were relatively small, and the researchers cautioned that their importance was uncertain when measurement uncertainty was considered. The results come from one supervised trial and do not predict an individual’s outcome.
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How the Six-Month Trial Worked
HIIT alternates short periods of demanding exercise with easier recovery periods. In this study, participants exercised under supervision rather than following an unsupervised program. Associate Professor of Physiology Mia Schaumberg, a study co-author, described the hard intervals as periods when breathing was heavy and conversation difficult, followed by easier activity.
Schaumberg offered a possible explanation for the results: “HIIT likely works better because it puts more stress on the muscles, giving the body a stronger signal to keep muscle tissue rather than lose it.” That is the researchers’ interpretation of how the training might work, not a mechanism proven by the body-composition measurements. The scans estimated lean tissue, which includes muscle as well as other tissues and water; they did not directly test muscle strength.
““We found that high, medium and low intensity exercises all led to modest fat loss but only HIIT retained lean muscle.””
— Dr. Grace Rose, lead author and exercise physiologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast
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Limits of the Body-Composition Results
The reported results do not establish how much muscle strength or everyday function changed. Lean mass is not the same as muscle: scans include other tissues and water, and a change in lean mass does not translate directly into a matching change in strength. The report also described the differences as modest and said their clinical meaning was not clear after measurement uncertainty was considered.
The available account does not provide the exact amount of fat or lean tissue lost or retained in each group, nor detailed information on participants’ adherence, health conditions or adverse events. It is also unclear how the findings would apply to older adults who were not healthy enough for the trial or to people exercising without supervision. The study’s low-intensity findings for abdominal fat require further analysis, according to the researchers.
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Further Analysis and Individual Decisions
The researchers said further analysis is needed, particularly for the low-intensity group’s results. Additional research could clarify whether the observed differences persist, how they relate to strength and physical function, and whether they have clinical significance beyond the measurements reported in this trial.
The study does not establish an exercise prescription for all older adults. People considering demanding exercise can discuss suitable activity with a qualified health professional, particularly if they have health conditions or concerns about exercise. In this supervised six-month trial, HIIT reduced fat without the small lean-tissue decline reported for moderate training.
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Key Questions
What did the study find about HIIT?
In the six-month trial, the HIIT group reduced fat mass without the small decline in measured lean tissue reported in the moderate-intensity group. The results were modest and do not establish that every older adult will have the same response.
How many older adults took part?
The trial included 123 healthy adults from the Greater Brisbane region. Their average age was 72.
Did the study show that HIIT improved strength?
No. Researchers measured body composition, not muscle strength directly. Lean tissue includes muscle but also other tissues and water, so the measurements cannot show an equivalent change in strength.
Was HIIT clearly better for health than other exercise?
The researchers reported modest body-composition differences and cautioned that their clinical importance was uncertain. The trial does not establish that HIIT is best for every older adult or demonstrate a specific health outcome from the changes.
What happens next?
The researchers said further analysis is needed, including for low-intensity exercise results. More evidence would be needed to determine how the body-composition findings relate to strength, function and longer-term health.
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