Fitness Benefits: Session time vs Session Quantity

FatBoy said:

How do the fitness benefits compare? One 60 minute session vs 3 x 20
minute sessions spread throughout the day? Intensity is the same for
both. I can't seem to find any discussion on this, maybe I am using the
wrong search terms..

One long one produces a better "runners high".

In the book Fit or Fat author Covert Bailey says running >12 minutes
twice a day is better than running 24 minutes in one session. Not sure
how much research there is on this though.

Quoted message said:

How do the fitness benefits compare? One 60 minute session vs 3 x 20
minute sessions spread throughout the day? Intensity is the same for
both.

I think that the physiological adaptations that occur after 20 minutes are
benefitial, such as increased number and size of mitochondria, increased
aerobic enzyme activity, and increased capillarization in your muscle
fibers. If you stop after 20 minutes and don't start up again soon, then
the opportunity to stress the body in such a way as to improve these
physiological traits will be diminished.

Not to mention the inconvenience of having to dress, run, shower, and dress
three times for the three 20 minute runs.

I'm curious why you ask. Is your schedule such that you cannot fit in a
longer run?

--
Phil M.

Phil M. said:

Quoted message said:

How do the fitness benefits compare? One 60 minute session vs 3 x 20
minute sessions spread throughout the day? Intensity is the same for
both.

I think that the physiological adaptations that occur after 20 minutes are
benefitial, such as increased number and size of mitochondria, increased
aerobic enzyme activity, and increased capillarization in your muscle
fibers. If you stop after 20 minutes and don't start up again soon, then
the opportunity to stress the body in such a way as to improve these
physiological traits will be diminished.

Not to mention the inconvenience of having to dress, run, shower, and dress
three times for the three 20 minute runs.

and warmup / cooldown 😉. This time of year, it takes me at least 20-30
min to warm up.

Dot

--
"A winner is just a loser who tried one more time." -Captain George M.
Moore, Jr., United States Air Force (retired),
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