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Friday August 14 · Runner's Notebook — Page 1
I was looking for neuroscience articles for the topic I had planned today — running with purpose — when I came across something I was not looking for. A recent study compared cycling HIIT vs running HIIT with the same caloric expenditure in both groups. Same time, same total effort.
The result: the group that ran lost nearly twice as much abdominal fat. Not because they burned more — that was controlled. But because running, with its impact and muscle recruitment, produces a qualitatively different stimulus than cycling.
I always say everyone should run — not for aesthetics, but for health. But if science gives you an extra argument for preseason, I take it and pass it along. Here is the data, the protocol, and the purpose behind it.
🔬 The data — PMID:38233990
📊 Running vs Cycling — same caloric cost, 12 weeks of HIIT
-16.1%
Abdominal fat running
-8.3%
Abdominal fat cycling
Same caloric expenditure · The difference is the mechanical stimulus, not the volume
The mechanism: running demands repeated impact, greater recruitment of the posterior chain and stabilizing core, and the real metabolic cost of moving your own body weight with each stride. Cycling is supported, sustained, and does not replicate that. The caloric equation is the same — the stimulus is not.
Honest note: the study was done in middle-aged men with overweight — not elite runners. Use it as a directional argument, not an exact prescription for your situation.
⚡ The protocol — adapted for runners with an established base
3 times per week · 20-25 min total including warm-up
Effort: 45 seconds at 80-85% max HR
Recovery: 90 seconds of easy jog (active, not stopped)
Reps: 9 to 10 per session
When: Tuesday and Thursday — without compromising the weekend long run
80-85% max HR is moderate-high, not maximal. This is not a limit-pushing HIIT — it is sustainable week after week without destroying the aerobic base.
🎯 The purpose that makes all of this make sense
Preseason weight loss should not be "burn calories." It should be a training decision with the same intention as any other block in your plan. Every kilogram of improved composition is running economy recovered, session after session. Running with purpose is not just a phrase — it is knowing why each workout is there.
📖 Full article — 5 PMIDs · gut microbiota · cardiac risk for masters · 9 min read
