Jason Wanlass: The myth of the ‘fat burning zone’ persists | Health & Fitness | Idaho Statesman
I’ve been in the fitness industry for more than 15 years, and it amazes me that this topic still exists. But with cardio equipment makers continuing to display low-intensity training as “fat loss” on their monitors and a percentage of fitness consultants still prescribing low-intensity cardio as the most effective method for weight loss, it’s no wonder the confusion still exists.
The “fat burning zone” is 50-60 percent of your maximum heart rate. Research has shown that you burn a higher percentage of fat while training at this intensity. People were quick to conclude that this must mean you lose more fat.
The problem with this theory is the most important factor is left out, and that’s the rate of calories being burned. Also, fat is still being used at higher workout intensities and ultimately will result in more fat calories expended overall.
For example, the average exerciser burns about 8 calories a minute while training in the fat burning zone, with about 50 percent of those calories coming from fat.
Compare that with an exerciser working at 70-80 percent of her maximum heart rate (commonly called the cardiovascular zone), where the rate increases to 11 calories a minute on average with about 40 percent of those calories from fat. [...]
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Jason Wanlass, the owner of Monster Personal Training & Athletic Conditioning in Meridian, has more than 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry. Contact him at monsterfit@live.com or www.monsterfit.com.
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