SPRINT training for 60 minutes a week burns the same amount of body fat in men as jogging for seven hours a week, Sydney scientists report.

More than 40 overweight males participated in a short, high-intensity training regime based on cycle sprints over 12 weeks and measured a significant drop in their abdominal fat and an increase in muscle mass.

Pounding the pavement ... Igor Grozdanov, 39, jogging in The Domain during his half hour break from his job in IT in the city. Short sprints can be more effective than hours jogging, according to a study. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

The lead researcher, Steve Boutcher, said the training program provided the ideal amount of exercise intensity for health benefits, including weight loss, in a short time frame.

''We've been searching for about 10 years for the minimum amount of exercise you can do with the biggest health impact factor,'' Dr Boutcher, an exercise physiologist and associate professor at the University of NSW, said.