Sprinting Helps in Body Recomposition

How Sprinting Can Help in Body Recomposition: Stimulate Fat Loss and  put on some Muscles 

It can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.

Sprinting is a high-intensity exercise that demands a lot of energy in a short amount of time. Given such, sprinting burns significantly more calories per minute than lower-intensity exercise like jogging, walking, or even traditional high-intensity interval training (HIIT), says Akradi. In fact, thanks to the high caloric burn, sprint interval training results in a 39.59 percent higher reduction in body fat percentage than HIIT, according to a 2024 meta-analysis of several studies in RunRepeat. You’ll also save time while burning more calories because the same study found sprint intervals required 60.84 percent less time than HIIT. It’s a win-win.

It can increase excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. 

After sprinting, your body requires more oxygen to return to its resting state than walking or jogging, says Sara Hayes, a RRCA-certified running coach and founder of Mindful Miles. This is colloquially known as the “afterburn effect,” but scientifically speaking, it’s called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption(EPOC). “EPOC essentially means your body keeps working hard even after you’re done training, which means your body keeps burning calories during recovery,” Hayes says. As a result, sprint intervals can trigger fat loss by increasing total caloric burn throughout the day, in turn, boosting metabolism, and increasing fat oxidation (the process where the body breaks down fatty acids to produce energy) post-workout, per 2023 research in Physiological Reports.

It can help build and maintain muscle.

Sprinting helps maintain muscle, and can even build some in those that are generally untrained (if you’ve been lifting for several years, don't expect to see any gains from sprinting). Muscle growth plays a key role in shifting body composition, Akradi says. This is because muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, ultimately raising your resting metabolic rate over time, she explains. Sprinting activates your entire body, but 2025 research published in Applied Sciences found it’s especially great for engaging the hamstrings and glutes.

It releases fat-burning hormones. 

Sprinting increases the release of fat-burning hormones like adrenaline, human growth hormone, and testosterone, which creates the perfect storm for body recomposition, according to Akradi. Consistent sprinting can also improve insulin sensitivity (insulin is a hormone used to help regulate blood sugar levels), meaning your body becomes better at using carbohydrates for fuel rather than storing them as fat, per 2020 research in Molecular Basis of Disease.

How Sprinting Impacts Your Metabolism

“In the short term, sprinting demands a high level of energy, so your metabolism spikes, but over the long term, sprinting encourages more muscle mass, and more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate,” Hayes explains. 

EPOC also comes back into play here. The intensity of sprinting requires your body to burn more calories post-sprint to restore oxygen levels and repair muscle tissue, raising metabolism for hours, per 2024 research in Scientific Reports. So, put simply, consistent sprinting helps your body become more efficient at burning energy, even when at rest.

Does sprinting build and maintain muscle?

Sort of. Sprinting is essentially explosive resistance training using your own body weight, so every sprint activates your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core, allowing you to maintain muscle, and even potentially build some if you’re body is not used to resistance training, Hayes says.

Speaking of, sprinting is a great complement to traditional resistance training. “Sprinting and strength work are a perfect pair because strength training builds your foundation, and sprinting adds power and speed, so together, they increase lean muscle, boost coordination, and promote metabolic efficiency,” she says. Sprints and strength training work hand-in-hand to support each other: more strength means stronger sprints, and stronger sprints reinforces movement patterns that support lifting and athletic movement. 

The intensity of sprinting also trains your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which your body recruits when you need to execute quick, explosive movements, Akradi says. “These fibers produce force quickly but fatigue fast, so training them builds muscle density and strength, while also preserving muscle mass as you age.” 

How does sprinting differ from steady state jogging when it comes to muscle growth? I’m glad you asked. “Steady-state cardioprimarily recruits slow-twitch fibers and burns fewer calories per minute, so while it supports endurance and cardiovascular health, it doesn’t offer the same muscular stimulus or post-exercise metabolic boost,” Akradi says. “Sprinting, in contrast, challenges fast-twitch fibers, preserves or builds muscle mass, and stimulates more hormonal activity.” 

Both have their place in a well-rounded fitness routine, but if your goal is body recomposition, Akradi says sprinting is more efficient.

How To Incorporate Sprinting Into Your Workout Routine

Whether you’re up for a standalone sprint workout or implementing a few intervals as a finisher, start conservatively. “Consistency matters more than volume, so it’s about quality over quantity,” Akradi says.

And there’s good news: Even if sprinting isn’t your favorite workout but you still want to reap the benefits, Akradi says just four to six all-out sprints can drive results. “If you’re looking for the bare minimum but still want to see results, I recommend sprinting one to two times per week with four to six intervals at 15 to 30 seconds each.”

To get you started, Akradi programmed the below sprint workout that can be done on its own or as the cherry on top of a strength training session. 

Pro tip: Save your sprints for upper body days. Running on fresh legs will lessen your chance of injury. If you have to tack it to the end of your leg day, that’s okay—just be cautious of how hard you go on already tired legs. 

• Warm-up (about 5 to 7 minutes)
• Dynamic stretching and two to three gentle accelerations
• Sprint intervals (about 7 to 11 minutes)
• Four to six rounds:
• 15- to 30-second sprint (give 90 to 100 percent effort)
• 90-second walk or slow jog between each interval 
• Cooldown (about 5 minutes)
• Easy walk and full body stretching

Benefits of Low Carb High (Good) Fats Diet

Helps Boost HDL Cholesterol 

Reduced Triglycerides and Controls LDL Cholesterol 

Stabilizes Blood Sugar and Manages Diabetes 

Helps in Weight Loss and Management

Better Heart Health and Heart Diseases Control 

Better Mental Focus and Mental Health

Better for Gut Health and Digestion 

Prevention from Neurological Diseases 

Reduced Blood Pressure 

Reduces Metabolic Disorders or Syndromes 

Reduction in Cravings 

Controls Binge Eating  

Helps in Meal Portion Control 

More Flexible than Keto and Atkins Diet 

Complex Carbohydrates Diet for Diabetics: Ways To Normalize Carbs and Keep Blood Sugar in Check

A balanced diet is one of if not the most effective way to manage blood sugar. For people living with diabetes, it’s recommended to avoid added sugars, refined grains and processed foods. One effective way to do this is to limit carbohydrate intake—but this is not to say all carbs are forbidden. Here, experts explain why a nutrient-dense, complex carb diet is a smart choice for diabetics, plus they offer easy tips for optimal glucose control. 

The benefits of complex carb diet for diabetics

Scaling back on complex carbs can be a helpful step toward managing diabetes and improving your overall health.

It lowers blood sugar

Reducing bad carbohydrates generally can help lower glucose levels both before and after meals and improve your body’s response to insulin, explains Rachel Pessah-Pollack, MD, FACE, Clinical Professor at NYU Langone Health. 

It supports weight loss 

Eating complex carbs often promotes weight loss, which can improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, says Amy Shapiro, RD, lead nutritionist at ButcherBox. A key reason for this is that when you eat a fewer amount of complex carbohydrates, you tend to eat more protein in its place. And sources like beef, salmon and poultry are more filling than carbs, which can reduce overall calorie intake and prevent overeating.

“Protein also helps to maintain muscle mass during weight loss, which supports a healthy metabolism and prevents muscle loss” she adds. (Learn whether a low-carb or low-fat diet is better for weight loss here.)

It benefits heart health

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke, notes Toby Smithson, RDN, CDCES, Senior Manager of Nutrition and Wellness at the American Diabetes Association.

“Following a complex carb eating plan has shown positive outcomes related to heart health, which include lower blood pressure, an increase in high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides (a fat in your blood that comes from food and excess calories),” she says. 

How many carbs per day is safe for diabetics? 

Complex Carbohydrate needs for people with diabetes should be based on each individual’s age, activity level, weight goals, medications and regular blood sugar control, says Michelle Routhenstein, RD, CDCES, Preventive Cardiology Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Owner at Entirely Nourished.

It’s important to note that extremely low-carb or ketogenic diets may carry risks—especially for heart health, she cautions. Research increasingly shows that very low- and no-carb diets may accelerate plaque progression in arteries, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease.

“The body requires a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates per day to support brain function and overall metabolic health,” says Routhenstein. “Instead of drastically cutting carbs, the focus should be on improving insulin sensitivity by pairing complex carbs with protein and healthy fats and distributing intake evenly across meals and snacks to stabilize blood glucose and support metabolism.”

A good reference for a carb eating pattern is the Diabetes Plate, offers Smithson. Per these guidelines, aim to fill half of a 9” plate with non-starchy vegetables, about 1/4 of the plate with lean protein, 1/4 of the plate with quality carbohydrates (whole grains, starchy vegetables, beans, fruit, milk or yogurt) and water or a low-calorie beverage on the side.  

A better way to balance carbs for those with diabetes 

For a more sustainable and realistic approach than completely cutting carbs, Routhenstein suggests focusing on adding nutrients from whole foods that support insulin sensitivity—like chromium, magnesium and zinc—which can help the body process glucose more efficiently. 

Try combining complex carbs with skinless poultry, low-fat cheese, eggs, nut butter, tofu, avocado or nuts, advises Smithson. Also, strive for quality carbs that are a source of fiber, such as whole grain toast, fresh fruit or beans. This may help slow down the absorption of the carb and keep blood glucose levels from rising above your target range.

7 Carb Related Diet Mistakes to Avoid When You Have Diabetes

A low-carb diet is a common and effective nutrition strategy for lowering blood sugar levels and improving management of type 2 diabetes.[1] Low-carbohydrate eating patterns can also improving blood sugar in people with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease, among other conditions.

That said, a low-carb diet, especially if you have type 2 diabetes, isn’t as straightforward as simply cutting carbs alone. Here are seven of the most important low-carb diet mistakes to avoid for better blood sugar management and overall health.

1. You Don’t Explore All Your Low-Carb Diet Options

There is no universally agreed upon recommendation for how many carbs to eat on a low-carb diet, says Patti Urbanski, RD, CDCES, a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. People who follow a low-carb diet have a lot of freedom to choose how many carbohydrates they’ll eat in a day.

Most Americans get about 45 percent of their total daily calories from carbs, Urbanski says. So, anything less than 26 percent of your daily calories from carbs can be considered low-carb.[2] For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, that would mean eating fewer than 130 grams (g) of carbs per day.

Very low carb diets, including the keto diet, run as little as 20 to 50 total g of carbs per day.

Which approach is right for you? “There are many factors that must be considered when deciding how many carbs an individual should consume daily,” says Lori Zanini, RD, CDCES, a registered dietitian in private practice who’s based in Manhattan Beach, California. “Some of these factors include how well-controlled blood sugar levels are, current medications or insulin, additional health conditions, food preferences, budget, and health goals.”

2. You Don’t Communicate Regularly With Your Healthcare Team

Your diabetes care team can help you determine the right low-carb approach for you. It’s also important to notify them of any diet or lifestyle changes to avoid any potential side effects. 

In fact, they may recommend lowering or changing your medications to avoid very low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), cardiovascular complications, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a health emergency. This is especially true if you’re taking insulin, insulin-promoting drugs, or blood pressure medications, Urbanski says. Additionally, SGLT2 inhibitors, oral medications that assist the kidneys in lowering blood sugar levels, may push some people into potentially fatal DKA. Eating a low-carb diet can further exacerbate that risk.[3]

“It’s recommended that someone on SGLT2 inhibitors should not go on a low-carb diet or should first discontinue and change medications under their doctor’s supervision,” Urbanski says. Examples of SGLT2 inhibitors include canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Farxiga), and empagliflozin (Jardiance).[4]

But working with your healthcare team shouldn’t be limited to simply seeking clearance before starting a new diet. Ideally, they’ll be able to offer ongoing nutritional advice and support. Medicare, for example, covers 10 hours of diabetes self-management training and three hours of medical nutrition therapy initially, then two hours of each service every year for people with type 2 diabetes, Urbanski says. [5]

Some people need annual appointments, while others can benefit from seeing a registered dietitian or diabetes educator every two to three months.

Search the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Find a Nutrition Expert tool for a registered dietitian-nutritionist near you. You can also look for certified diabetes care and education specialists through the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education.

3. You Don’t Monitor Your Blood Sugar Regularly 

While a low-carb diet can help stabilize your blood sugar, it’s still important to monitor it carefully to prevent periods of hyperglycemiaor hypoglycemia, says Vandana Sheth, CDCES, a Los Angeles–based registered dietitian-nutritionist.

“When you go on a low-carb diet, monitoring your blood sugar can provide important information that you can use to adjust meal portions as well as medication dosages,” she says. To get the most complete info and make the most informed decisions, use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which takes a blood sugar measurement every 5 minutes or less. Medicare covers CGMs for people who use insulin.[5] Your private insurance may, too, and there are over-the-counter devices for people who can afford to pay on their own.

4. You Focus Too Much on Total Carbs and Not Enough on Carb Quality

A low-carb diet shouldn’t just be about what you cut. It should also be about what you add into your nutrition plan, Zanini says. 

When following a low-carb diet, the more you can focus on whole, unprocessed foods, the better. These foods can include healthy high-fat foods, such as olive oil, avocado, walnuts, and salmon. But the exact amount of fat you should eat depends on whether you are following a keto diet or trying to build lean muscle through an increase in dietary protein, Urbanski says.

If you become too focused on reducing carbs, you may end up replacing them with high-calorie fats, as well as sugar-free foods that contain artificial sweeteners, which may encourage you to eat more.[6]

5. Your Carbs Spreading Throughout the Day is not Enough or You are Taking more Carbs at a Time 

If you eat too few carbs at each meal, you may have difficulty sustaining this diet long-term, Urbanski says. You may end up reaching for high-carb snacks during the day, which can cause large dips and spikes in your blood sugar levels.[7]

Evenly distributing carb intake throughout the day can prevent these dips and stabilize your levels.[8]

Sheth recommends that most people with type 2 diabetes aim to consume 30 to 45 g of carbs per meal. To figure out the right balance for you, divide your goal number of daily carbohydrates by the number of meals and snacks you plan to eat throughout the day.

6. You Miss Out on Fibers 

Fiber is critical to overall health: It lowers blood pressure, improves insulin health, and encourages weight loss by stabilizing blood sugar and increasing satiety, Zanini says.

But Americans aren’t getting enough fiber, even when eating carb-rich diets. On average, male adults with type 2 diabetes typically consume 4.2 percent of the recommended amount of fiber, while female adults with the condition consume 8.1 percent.[9]

The recommended daily amount of fiber for adults up to age 50 is 25 g for women and 38 g for men. Women and men older than 50 should have 21 and 30 g daily, respectively.

When following a low-carb diet, try to add plenty of high-fiber foods to your meals. Low- to moderate-carb options include leafy greens, berries, legumes, and low-carb, high-fiber breads and tortillas, Sheth says.

If you have trouble meeting your protein needs or you experience constipation, which is a sign that your digestive system may need more fiber, you can try taking fiber supplements. But don’t use them in place of regularly eating high-fiber plant foods, Sheth says. These supplements don’t contain the array of vitamins and minerals that fruits and vegetables also contain.[10]

7. You Drink Not Enough Water, Increasing Your Risk of Dehydration

Following a low-carb, high-protein diet, such as the keto diet, can increase the risk of dehydration, as well as electrolyte imbalances, Urbanski says. This happens because when the body stores carbohydrates, it stores water along with it. In response to reduced blood sugar levels, the body doesn’t produce as much insulin. In turn, the kidneys expel both water and sodium from the body, she says.[11][12] Proper hydration helps support steadier blood sugar levels.

If you’re aiming to eat less food as part of your low-carb plan, this can lower your sodium levels even more. Dehydration and too-low sodium levels can cause lightheadedness and dizziness, and prevent your cells from functioning optimally, she says. These dehydration symptoms are a part of the so-called keto flu that often afflicts new low-carb dieters. 

Be sure to speak with your healthcare team about how much salt you should be consuming to prevent dehydration and heart issues. In people with high blood pressure or congestive heart failure, for example, increasing sodium intake may not be a healthy option, she says. As for water intake, check out the Everyday Health Hydration Calculator.[13]

The Takeaways

• Consuming a low-carb diet can help people with type 2 diabetes effectively manage their blood sugar levels.

• When starting out, it’s important to avoid some common low-carb diet mistakes, such as not focusing on carb quality and not drinking enough fluids, so that your diet can work most effectively to protect your health.

• Work with your healthcare team to determine which type of low-carb diet may be right for you. Too few carbs can make it tougher to stick to your diet, while dehydration can lead to uncomfortable symptoms, such as dizziness and fatigue.

• While a low-carb diet is generally beneficial for managing blood sugar levels, it’s still important to monitor your blood sugar levels. If you detect very high or low blood sugar levels, you may need to adjust your portion sizes or medication.