Similar to high-intensity interval training (also known as HIIT), Tabata can be more effective than regular aerobics for some individuals. Especially in terms of time efficiency and boosting both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) fitness. While both types of exercise offer cardiovascular benefits. Tabata’s high-intensity intervals and short recovery periods can lead to a greater calorie burn and improved metabolic rate, both during and after the workout.

I recently ordered and received a DVD on Tabatacise Workout by Cathe Friedrich. While fast paced, it definitely gave me more energy that lasted all day. She is an excellent instructor. Like my other favorite (Joel Harper and Karen Voight) trainers, Cathe has other DVD’s routines as well.

THE HISTORY OF TABATA

Dr. Izumi Tabata is a Japanese exercise scientist known for developing the Tabata Protocol, a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in 1996.  Dr, Tabata is a professor at Ritsumeikan University’s Graduate School of Sport and Health Science in Japan. He developed this protocol in the 1990s while working with the Japanese speed skating team. The Tabata Protocol involves 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for a total of four minutes. And a total of 8 rounds or four minutes.

One of the best things about the Tabata Protocol is that it has been tested in a rigorous, scientific setting. So many health and fitness trends are backed by unsubstantiated claims, but Tabata science has quite soundly demonstrated that Tabata is one very effective workout.

Hard to believe that you can achieve a high level workout and results in such a short period of time. The Tabata Protocol is designed to improve both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) capacity. Meaning it enhances the body’s ability to utilize oxygen and perform high-intensity movements.

Dr. Tabata continues to study the Tabata Protocol, focusing on identifying the lowest intensity at which the training can still provide health benefits. In a lot less time.

Dr. Tabata doesn’t recommend Tabata for people that are new to exercise, but he wants to be sure that newbies and people with less mobility can reap the health benefits of this type of exercise.

In addition, Dr. Tabata thinks his protocol might be able to treat certain chronic disorders. Preliminary research suggest that Tabata may improve sugar metabolism in diabetics. He is moving towards towards larger human studies to determine if this effect is real.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TABATA AND HIIT

There are quite a few similarities between the two, as well as some subtle differences worth noting, but both can be incredibly defining the methods.

In Tabata exercise, four minutes of a movement with rest interspersed doesn’t seem too difficult, until you try it out. The rest periods are just enough for you to mentally reset without allowing your heart rate or breathing rate to return to normal, thus keeping the intensity relatively high.

HIIT

HIIT uses the same principles as Tabata but with more variety and flexibility. You still want to choose movements of high intensity in order to get the desired effects, but the work/rest ratios and rounds repeated are up to you. With both HIIT and Tabata, you want to try and maintain the same intensity throughout the intervals, so keeping track of your reps can help you keep a goal as you progress through the workouts.

IS HIIT OR TABATA BETTER?

When used consistently, both of these training methodologies improve maximal oxygen uptake (known as VO2max). Studies have shown that you need to train at or about 70% of that total VO2 max, and you may not be ready to buy the expensive tech wearables just yet, using a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a decent substitute for knowing what percentage of VO2 max greater of your VO2 max, you are striving for a workout effort you would rate as a 7 or greater.

Like all exercise, you get out of what you put into it. When done correctly, HIIT and Tabata workouts should easily should easily rate at a 7 or greater on the RPE. If you get through a HIIT or Tabata workout and you don’t rate it as such, either you need to choose harder movements or go faster while performing those movements. either way, your health and fitness are within your control.

For those of you who are not familiar with VO2 Max, it shows how much oxygen your body absorbs and uses while working out. V is for volume, 02 is for oxygen and max is for maximum.

Sports medicine physician Matthew Kampert, DO, MS, explains how to measure your VO1 max and how to improve it. Dr. Kampert says, “It gives you an objective view of your health. It gives you a good idea of how effective your training is.”

Having an idea of what your VO2 max is can help when it comes to training for sports, improving your health and getting the most out of your workout.

VO2 max shows how well your heart pushes blood to your muscles and how efficiently your muscles can extract that oxygen from your circulating blood. As you breathe in oxygen, it powers a metabolic reaction within your muscles cells that gives your muscles energy called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). You breathe faster and deeper while exercising because your body needs more energy to work.

“During exercise, the body will use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, which is let out as you breathe,” explains Dr. Kampert.

VO2 max is typically measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed in a minute per kilogram of body weight (ML/kg/min). Having a higher VO2 max number typically means you are good cardiovascular shape, but you could also increase your VO2 max by losing body fat.

There isn’t one golden number for each person, but professional athletes tend to have a higher VO2max number. While VO2 max tends to decline in age, regular exercise can greatly slow this decline.

You can find out your VO2max number by performing a cardiopulmonary exercise test at your doctor’s office or exercise medicine lab. Typically, you will wear a mask over your face to record your oxygen consumption and carbo dioxide production while running on a treadmill, riding a bike or doing some other form of cardiovascular task. The volume of air you moved with your breath and also composition of carbon dioxide and oxygen can be determined.

By measuring how much oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide, you will find out how many calories you burn at different levels of exercise intensity. Your heart rate will also be monitored at different exercise intensities.

Certain fitness trackers and devices can also estimate your VO2 max by using your heart rate.

HOW TABATA IMPROVES VO2 MAX

• Tabata workouts elevate heart rate and breathing, forcing the body to process more oxygen to fuel the intense activity.
• The short, intense intervals of Tabata training challenge both the aerobic (oxygen based) and the anaerobic (without oxygen) energy systems. leading to improvements in both.
• By repeatedly pushing the cardiovascular system to its maximum, Tabata training improves the heart’s ability to pump blood and the lungs’ capacity to deliver oxygen to the muscles.
• Tabata training can increase the body’s ability to tolerate and clear lactate, a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism, which can improve performance during high-intensity exercise.
• Tabata’s high-intensity nature allows for significant fitness gains in a short amount of time, making it an efficient way to improve VO2 max.
• Tabata training can help increase lean muscle mass, particularly when combined with exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. This contrasts with some forms of regular aerobics, which may not be as effective for building muscle.
• Tabata workouts are known for being short and intense, with a typical session lasting only 4 minutes (20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. This makes it a great option for individuals with limited time for exercise.
• It is important to listen to your body’s signals and take breaks when needed.