Not all running is created equal. Going for a leisurely jog is far from the demand you place on your body by running intervals. Interval training burns more calories than regular aerobic training, according to the American Council on Exercise. Many athletes use intervals to improve their performance and many exercisers use it to increase their calorie burn and weight loss.
Interval Training
Interval training uses both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy systems. It requires short bursts of high intensity followed by a moderate effort for an extended period of time. For example, you can sprint for 30 seconds followed by a moderate jog for two minutes. Intervals are variables, meaning that you can choose the amount of time during which you run hard and the amount of recovery time.
Factors
The amount of calories burned during interval training varies among individuals because of a variety of factors. Your age, weight and gender are all contributing factors that affect your calorie-burning potential. However, the greater your effort is, the greater your caloric burn will be. Running at a steady pace require less of a demand on your body, allowing you to burn fewer calories than running at an intense speed.
Caloric Burn
Interval training burns more calories simply because the more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you can burn. For example, a 180-lb. person burns 23 calories running at a 5 mph pace for two minutes, according to the Health Status website. The same person who sprints at a 12 mph pace for two minutes burns 61 calories. Interval training uses short bursts of intensity followed by a moderate pace. If the same person sprinted for two minutes at a 12 mph pace followed by a recovery for two minutes at 5 mph, they would burn 84 calories in four minutes, rather than the 46 that would be burned running consistently for four minutes at a 5 mph speed.
Rest
Your body does not stop burning calories after you finish exercising. Your body continues to burn calories at rest. After interval training you increase your resting calorie burn because it stimulates a response in your body that keeps you burning more calories. The more intensely you exercise the longer it takes to get your body to recover, allowing you to continue to burn calories longer.
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