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In this podcast, we’re going to talk about the “fat burning zone,” which is something you’ve probably heard about many times.
When I first got into fitness, I read that if you’re doing cardio to lose fat, you better be doing it in the “fat burning zone.” If you don’t, proponents claim, your cardio is going to be a lot less effective, or maybe even completely ineffective. You’ll simply end up burning through the glycogen in your muscles or the carbs in your blood, leaving your body fat untouched and unscathed.
This idea has stood the test of time, too. It’s been around for at least 50 years now, and many people think the fat burning zone is the ticket to losing weight.
As you’re going to learn in this podcast, the fat burning zone is largely a myth. Lower-intensity cardio that burns a larger proportion of fat isn’t necessarily better than higher-intensity exercise when it comes to overall fat loss. That doesn’t mean you have to do a lot of high-intensity cardio either, though. Find out why by listening to this episode!
Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!
Timestamps:
3:57 – What is the fat burning zone?
9:57 – What’s wrong with the fat burning zone idea?
15:19 – What’s the best kind of cardio for burning fat?
Mentioned on the Show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
- Knechtle, B., Müller, C., Willmann, F., Kotteck, K., Eser, P., & Knecht, H. (2004). Fat Oxidation in Men and Women Endurance Athletes in Running and Cycling. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 25(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2003-45232
- J, A., MC, V., & AE, J. (2003). Fat oxidation rates are higher during running compared with cycling over a wide range of intensities. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 52(6), 747–752. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0026-0495(03)00068-4
- Cao, L., Jiang, Y., Li, Q., Wang, J., & Tan, S. (2019). Exercise Training at Maximal Fat Oxidation Intensity for Overweight or Obese Older Women: A Randomized Study. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 18(3), 413. /pmc/articles/PMC6683615/
- Purdom, T., Kravitz, L., Dokladny, K., & Mermier, C. (2018). Understanding the factors that effect maximal fat oxidation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 15:1, 15(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12970-018-0207-1
- K, H., T, S., & D, S. (2005). The effects of exercise on the storage and oxidation of dietary fat. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 35(5), 363–373. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535050-00001
- J, A., M, G., & AE, J. (2002). Determination of the exercise intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(1), 92–97. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200201000-00015
- Loon, L. J. C. van, Greenhaff, P. L., Constantin-Teodosiu, D., Saris, W. H. M., & Wagenmakers, A. J. M. (2001). The effects of increasing exercise intensity on muscle fuel utilisation in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 536(Pt 1), 295. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1469-7793.2001.00295.X
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