What are exercise snacks and can they improve cardiometabolic health?

Exercise snacks are a relatively new concept involving short bursts (typically <1 min) of vigorous exercise performed sporadically throughout the day. Although unlikely to replicate all of the benefits of traditional exercise, research has shown that performing exercise snacks can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and improve markers of metabolic health. Dr. Little will present the latest evidence highlighting the potential benefits of exercise snacks, including ongoing studies that are trying to take the exercise snacks concept from the lab to the real-world.

Jonathan Little is a Professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences and Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management at The University of British Columbia (UBC). He has published >175 peer-reviewed papers in the areas of exercise metabolism, nutrition, type 2 diabetes, and immunology. Using a molecule-to-community approach, the overarching goals of his laboratory are to develop and test novel exercise and nutritional strategies to prevent, treat, and reverse type 2 diabetes and its cardiometabolic complications. He is internationally-recognized for his research on low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT), exogenous ketones, and type 2 diabetes remission.