Jermaine B. Mitchell^1,, Jonathan E. Wingo², Mark T. Richardson², Robert L. Herron², Phillip Bishop³

Encouraging physical activity is a key component of public health. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that interval walking would produce higher oxygen uptake (V̇O₂) and similar enjoyment responses during and following exercise compared to continuous walking. Ten healthy adults (4 women, 6 men; mean age = 24 ± 5 years) completed the following 3 walking bouts in counterbalanced order and equated for total volume (90 MET·min): 1) 30 min of low-moderate continuous walking (3 METs; ~ 4.8 km/h), 2) 24 min and 24 s of interval walking (IW1) with cycles of 30 s:60 s of high-moderate (5 METs; ~ 6.4 km/h):low-moderate intensities, and 3) 26 min and 20 s of interval walking (IW2) with cycles of 30 s:120 s of high-moderate:low-moderate intensities. Accumulated O₂ uptake during exercise was higher during IW2 (28,232 ± 2,782 mL) compared to IW1 (26,561 ± 2,685 mL; p = 0.03) and continuous walking (24,500 ± 2,427 mL; p = 0.001), and higher during IW1 than during continuous walking (p = 0.001). EPOC over 20 min was higher after IW1 (1,268 ± 117 mL O₂) compared to continuous walking (892 ± 73 mL; p = 0.04); the 2 interval walking protocols were not different (IW2: 1,174 ± 178 mL; p > 0.05). Exercise enjoyment before, during, and after exercise did not differ among the walking protocols (all p > 0.05). Interval walking elicited greater V̇O₂ and EPOC in shorter total durations of exercise compared to continuous walking of a similar enjoyment and volume.

EPOC, interval walking, aerobic exercise, body fat, affect, adherence