The Truth About the Fat Burning Zone
We've come a long way in the fitness world (yes, I used to wear leg warmers and lift pink dumbbells) but there are still myths out there that persist despite the best efforts of fitness experts everywhere. One of those myths is the one about the fat-burning zone - you know that one, right? It says that working out at a lower intensity will help you burn more fat.
I've written quite a bit about this and was drawn back to the topic when I read an article in the October 2009 issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal. In "The Fat-Burning Zone," Dr. Jason Karp talks about this myth stating that our bodies do rely on fat as fuel when we're working at a lower intensity. As the intensity increases, we use more carbs for fuel.
That sounds a lot like fat-burning but, here's what's important: Just because you use fat doesn't mean you actually burn more fat. In fact, if your goal is to lose fat, higher intensity exercise burns more calories overall. As Dr. Karp puts it, "What matters is the rate of energy expenditure, rather than simply the percentage of energy expenditure derived from fat."
The bottom line? Lower intensity exercise is great for a variety of reasons but, if your goal is to lose fat, incorporating some higher intensity workouts (particularly interval training) will get you closer to your goal.
What do you think about the fat-burning zone? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
More About the Fat-Burning Zone
Source:
Karp, J. "The Fat-Burning Zone." IDEA Fitness Journal, Oct 2009.
The Truth About the Fat Burning Zone originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 07:00:44.