Sprints better than marathon for heart health

Scientists have found that a number of brief bursts of exercise were better for your heart and circulation than the equivalent long distance training. They discovered that the distance, time and calories burned in sprint exercises were much less than those needed in endurance in order to have the same benefits for the cardiovascular system. The findings were published in the American Journal of Human Biology. "Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality throughout the world and its risk factors have their origins in childhood," said lead author Duncan Buchan from the University of the West of Scotland. "Our research examines the effects of brief, intense exercise when compared to traditional endurance exercise on the markers of CVD in young people."