The fi rst offi cial Tabata class launched in September and is ideal for small group exercise sessions
JANE IRVING Q&A
Jane Irving, owner of Big Shot Produc- tions, tells us more about Tabata, the exciting new protocol that’s hailed as an “exercise superbrand”
What is Tabata? Tabata is a clinically proven way to get fi t in just four minutes. The protocol consists of 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. It’s sci- entifi cally proven to be a highly effective way to increase both aerobic and anaerobic fi tness.
Where did the idea come from? The system was developed by a Japanese sci- entist, professor Tabata, while working as an advisor for the Japanese Olympic speed skating team in the early 1990s. The head coach had developed a training technique that involved the athletes exercising in short bursts of high intensity; professor Tabata was asked to analyse the effectiveness of this training regime. He compared various HIT systems and found this technique to be the best at improving fi tness levels.
Spa Business 3 2013 ©Cybertrek 2013
intensity exercise, then 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times and lasting a total of four minutes. This group cycled at 170 per cent of their VO2 max. Both groups carried out their routines fi ve times a week. By the end of the six-week trial, fi tness lev- els in the four-minute group had improved more markedly than in the hour-long group. Both groups saw an improvement in aero- bic fi tness, however, while the hour-long group saw no improvement in anaerobic fi tness levels, this went up by 28 per cent in the four-minute group.
In a second experiment, he compared the
What’s the science behind it? Research suggests that just one four-min- ute workout results in better fi tness levels than an hour’s moderate training session on an exercise bike. Professor Tabata’s original research
involved two different trials. The fi rst was conducted among reasonably fi t young stu- dents majoring in physical education and playing university sport. One group cycled at a moderate speed for an hour and at 70 per cent of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Another group took part in the so- called Tabata Protocol: 20 seconds of high
Tabata Protocol with another form of HIT involving 30 seconds of even higher intensity – 200 per cent of VO2 max – with two minutes’ rest in between. Again, the Tabata Protocol improved both aerobic and anaerobic fi tness, whereas the other HIT system saw no signifi - cant improvement in either measure. Although the two studies were carried out
over a number of weeks, results were actu- ally seen in participants after just one week of doing the Tabata Protocol. Professor Tabata has also conducted a new experiment – due to be published this year – with results indicating that Tabata contin- ues to burn up to 150 calories in the 12 hours after a workout.
Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital 95
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116