Interval Training Vs Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) Training

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The type of training you undertake should be determined by your end goal, which is very specific to each individual. The over-riding goal of this programme is to improve your running. However, this could mean very different things to different people. Some may want to beat their 5k personal best while others may want to run a 10k race for the first time. Although these goals are very specific, to achieve either of them a number of fitness elements should be addressed and improved. In other blogs we will look at the benefits of working on our core and general strength and conditioning sessions for upper and lower body, but in this blog we are going to look into the difference between interval training and low-intensity steady state (LISS) training. In the programme we have included 3 runs each week:

2 x Interval Runs

1 x LISS Run

They are in the programme for different reasons and to help progress different elements of your running.

Interval Training:

Interval Training is made up of short periods of intense activity followed by a period of recovery, which you repeat a number of times. You will recognise this from our speed sessions last week and the hill runs yesterday.  This form of training, where we incorporate short periods of rest, allows us to work harder and more intensely.  Over time this allows us to see continuous improvement in our fitness because the hard bursts of exercise deliver a greater stimulus to our hearts, lungs and muscles.

An additional benefit of this form of training is the increase in EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, sometimes known as ‘The Afterburn Effect’) which refers to the elevation in metabolism (the rate that calories are burned) after an exercise session ends. In a nutshell, you continue to burn more calories after finishing your workout. In 2014 a study (conducted by Mann et al.) examined the recovery rate of male and female runners after running at 60%, 70% and 80% of their VO2 Max. It revealed that the highest intensity workout produced the greatest afterburn, therefore the higher the intensity, the higher the EPOC.

LISS Training:

Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) training is where we work for a longer period of time at a lower intensity. We have placed this in your programme on a Sunday where you will be aiming to remain between 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This has been included to improve endurance over longer distances and because it is going to be more like the speed and intensity you will be running your 5k or 10k runs at. Therefore it will be more specific to the actual goal. It also allows you a little recovery from your more intense sessions. Because you’re putting your heart and body under less stress, it is likely that you will recover more quickly and easily. If we were to work continuously at high intensity, your body wouldn’t have time to recover and repair which would negatively affect your running.

Both types of run are very important and they add equal amounts of value to your training. Try to avoid missing either session to get the most benefit from the programme.