FOOD FOR THOUGHT (New Crossfit study)

Check out the new research on the notoriously difficult workout program - Crossfit

Crossfit is becoming more and more popular and, yes, it's a  VERY hard workout program that promises to get you into super great shape in a short amount of time by focusing on high-intensity interval training. But who can prove that? There hasn't been any scientific studies to see if the program works.  Right? Wrong.

Prompted by the popularity of Crossfit, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned an independent study to evaluate the effectiveness of two popular CrossFit workouts. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s exercise physiology program tracked 16 healthy volunteers who did two WOD's, Donkey Kong and Fran. The results? The women burned just over 12 calories per minute, the men 20, and both maintained an “elevated heart rate throughout the entire workout,” which is basically a fancy way of saying that they satisfied fitness industry guidelines for cardio workouts. There you have it, it’s now scientifically proven that CrossFit boosts endurance and kicks some calorie butt.

“Fitness seekers are often enticed by the results touted by popular workout programs, and the results demonstrated by dedicated `CrossFitters' often present such results,” said ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant, Ph.D. “Based on the study results, there’s no doubt that CrossFit can offer an effective workout option that burns calories at a high rate.” 

If you're thinking about getting into wicked shape - Crossfit's for you BUT if you’ve never done it before don't jump in with both feet. Why? CrossFit is hard— really hard. And the lead researcher of the CrossFit study, John Porcari, Ph.D., head of the University of Wisconsin’s Clinical Exercise Physiology Program, even said that its intensity is “off the charts.” So be smart.  Start small and work your way up.

That's the very basic gist. To download a full copy of the study, visit ACEfitness.org.