The typical HIT protocol involves repeated ‘work intervals’ of 20 to 30 seconds at near-maximal effort, interspersed with 15 to 60 seconds of active recovery. A complete session, including warm-up and cool-down, rarely exceeds 20 minutes. Early research by Professor Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo demonstrated that four minutes of high-intensity intervals (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity significantly more than one hour of steady-state moderate exercise.
(Note: Some answer keys prefer “mitochondrial” as a single word adjective modifying biogenesis – but the stem says “creation of new (6) ______ within cells” – the thing created is mitochondria. I’ll mark as correct.) Questions 9–13 (Matching Features) | Question | Answer | Source paragraph | |----------|--------|------------------| | 9 | E | Paragraph E: “two HIT sessions per week… as five 45-minute moderate sessions” | | 10 | D | Paragraph D: “discomfort… psychologically discouraging, leading to higher dropout rates” | | 11 | F | Paragraph F: “pre-conditioning phase of four to six weeks of moderate exercise is advised” | | 12 | F | Paragraph F: “Structured programmes such as the ‘4x4’ protocol” | | 13 | E | Paragraph E: “improvements in blood pressure… statistically equivalent” | Final Score Conversion (Approximate) | Correct Answers | IELTS Band (Reading) | |----------------|----------------------| | 12–13 | 7.5 – 8.0 | | 10–11 | 6.5 – 7.0 | | 8–9 | 5.5 – 6.0 | | 6–7 | 4.5 – 5.0 | high intensity training ielts reading answers
Reading Passage
Proponents argue that HIT triggers unique metabolic responses. It depletes muscle glycogen stores rapidly, stimulating greater mitochondrial biogenesis – the creation of new energy-producing units within cells. Moreover, HIT elevates excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), meaning the body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate for hours after the session ends. This ‘afterburn effect’ is substantially lower after traditional endurance exercise. (Note: Some answer keys prefer “mitochondrial” as a