Short bouts of interval exercise may be most beneficial for older women at increased risk of heart-related illness, according to new University of Leeds research.
The research found while neither continuous or interval exercise increased the number of angiogenic cells in the blood, interval exercise encouraged greater function of those cells already in circulation, and stimulated their ability to form colonies which can improve blood vessel growth and repair.
The findings showed that one session of interval exercise was more effective than 30 minutes of moderate intensity continuous exercise – one of the key Government-recommended guidelines - when it comes to increasing angiogenic cell activity in post-menopausal women.