One of the best ways to lose weight, especially fat weight, is through exercise. Any activity will burn calories and contribute to a healthy weight. But to maximize your time and effort, it is important to pay attention to both exercise intensity and mode of exercise.
Exercise Physiology 101
At rest, the body uses about 85 percent fat and 15 percent glucose for energy. During exercise, fat continues to be broken down and used for energy as long as the activity is moderate and you aren't out of breath. Exercising at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, or MHR, may yield a 58 percent fat burn with 42 percent coming from glucose sources. As exercise intensity increases, less oxygen is available to the working muscles and the preferred energy source becomes glucose. Exercising at 85 percent of MHR, about 73 percent of the energy comes from glucose and the fat contribution is down to 27 percent. It is because of this concept that many believe they should stay in a low to moderate intensity to maximize fat-burning. That's only part of the equation.
Do the Math
In a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin, subjects were put through a 30-minute exercise session. The first group exercised at a moderate intensity and burned 240 total calories with 41 percent of those calories coming from fat stores. The second group exercised at a higher intensity and burned a total of 450 calories but only used 24 percent fat for energy. The final calculations show that the percentage of fat isn’t as important as the total fat burned. The first group burned 96 fat calories while the second burned 108 fat calories because the second group burned more total calories.
Maximize Fat-Burning
Weight loss is dependent on the total number of calories burned, not necessarily the fuel source. Exercising at a low to moderate intensity certainly enables you to exercise longer, which helps burn more calories. To maximize fat-burn and caloric expenditure, you can integrate several segments of higher intensity training. This interval training allows you to burn more calories while being able to sustain your activity for longer periods of time.
Add Muscle To Burn Fat
Weight training doesn’t actually rely on fat for energy because it is a high intensity activity. Calories are expended but glucose is the primary fuel source. The benefits are realized after the workouts. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, increasing your daily caloric needs. Research conducted by Tufts University showed that after a three-month weight training program, consisting of three, 30-minute sessions per week, metabolism was boosted up to seven percent. For most, that means the body requires more than 110 additional calories per day.
Maximize Caloric Burn
To maximize your body’s fat-burning potential, exercise for longer duration, integrating interval training into each session. Strength-train two to three times per week to increase muscle weight. Finally, increase your daily physical activity. Moderate activity incorporated into your daily routine burns extra fat and calories.
References
- "ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals"; American Council on Exercise; 2010
- Fitness Management magazine: Fat-burning Exercise: Fit or Farce? (1994)
- South Shore YMCA: Why the Confusion on Muscle and Metabolism?
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