1. “Back to Fitness†Jan 2014 – Fat Burning
A friend asked me http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-YouTube-Download.htm in the
store last week, ?How do you run to burn fat?? This was actually a great question, with a very
specific answer that may not be what you think.
I would like to start by saying there will always be endless debate on the best ways to exercise, live
longer, lose weight, etc. The most important thing is that you find something you enjoy and can stick
with regularly to make exercise an integral part of your life!
This month we?ll look at a science-based view on the optimal way to burn fat.
Let?s start with the fact that during exercise, our body has two main fuel sources to choose
from?sugar and fat?and the Sell your gift cards intensity at which we exercise influences which fuel
our body will use. As our friend Dr. Mark Cucuzzella puts it, our body is like a hybrid car, constantly
burning a blend of gasoline (sugar) and electricity (fat). At higher intensity exercise, our hybrid
engines are mostly utilizing sugar, which gives us 36-38 ATP per molecule of glucose (ATP is the
body?s energy currency). We only have enough glucose stores to last for 1-2 hours before we crash!
At lower intensity exercise, our hybrid engines are mostly utilizing fat, which gives us a whopping
460 ATP per molecule of fat! We all have enough fat stores to fuel the electric engine for days on
end!
2. While burning glucose enables us to perform at a more intense level, it also produces more
byproducts (such as lactic acid) and is more stressful on our body. Fat burning exercise on the other
hand is very easy on our body and allows us to recover quickly and be less prone to injury.
So what is the best way to burn fat? Exercise at a lower intensity, but for extended periods of time,
regularly, and http://youtubedownload.altervista.org/ on an empty stomach.
? Lower intensity: To be specific, we?re trying to exercise below our aerobic threshold heart rate.
Without getting too technical, this tends to be running or walking at a ?conversational pace? where
it?s easy to chat with a friend without being out of breath. For the more technically inclined, you can
use a heart rate monitor and find your aerobic threshold heart rate (ATHR) and just stay below it.
There are many formulas to find your ATHR, the most simple of which (per Dr. Phil Maffetone) is to
take 180 minus your age. I am 37, so my ATHR would be 143. If I am exercising below this heart
rate, I am burning mostly fat. If I exercise above it, I start to use less fat and more sugar the higher
my intensity goes.
? Extended periods of time: Because our fat burning system is so efficient, you do need to exercise
for longer periods of time to burn significant amounts of fat. I recommend making an hour of
exercise a goal. One hour three times a week is better than 30 minutes six times a
http://au.youtube.com/ week. Make the time for yourself! Running, walking, hiking, biking?any
activity that you can enjoy is great. And runners, don?t forget that you?re allowed to walk sell my
gift card from time to time! There is nothing wrong with walking to keep that heart rate down on our
hills. You?ll be able to go farther and longer if you mix in some walking into your runs.
? Regularly: To really start to burn off some fat, you?ve got to make this a habit and get out there
several times a week. Let?s face it. This is the hardest part. Life is too busy, I?m tired, it?s cold
outside, etc. But I am convinced that anyone can carve out this time. It may be at 5 a.m. or 8 p.m.,
but you can find it. You?re worth it!
? Fasted: The beauty of exercising at a lower heart rate is that you simply do not need any food to
fuel that exercise. So you can just wake up, get a cup of coffee (no sugar!) and go. There is a specific
reason I say fasted. If you eat or drink right before exercise with foods containing any sugar or
simple carbohydrates, your body will preferentially use this energy as well as release insulin. Insulin
can inhibit fat breakdown (lipolysis), making it harder for our body to burn fat as an energy source.
So ideally, exercising on an empty stomach will help your fat burning engine work with maximum
efficiency. Remember to try to avoid sugars and limit simple carbohydrates throughout your day.
These foods are what make fat in the first place! Avoid ?fake healthy? exercise foods like sports
drinks and nutrition bars that are loaded with sugar. Eat whole foods as much as possible.
3. So,
shoul
d you
never
exerc
ise at
a
high
inten
sity?
Will
you
not
burn
fat at a high heart rate? Again, it?s important that you find a form of exercise that you enjoy and can
sustain. If that is a higher intensity activity, great! And yes, you will lose weight from this because
exercise of any type is going to burn calories and increase your metabolism. However, this
discussion is focusing on the BEST way to burn fat, and that would be lower intensity activity for a
long period of time. This is probably the main reason that most distance runners tend to be thin.
Most long runs are slow paced and runners out there are burning fat for hours at a time. But you
don?t have to run. Just block out some time and walk, hike, or cycle. Just do it for an hour, three
times a week, combined with a healthy diet low in sugar.
4. R
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f
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r
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n
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e
s
:
D
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.
M
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k
C
u
cuzella?s articles on our endurance engine and heart rate zones:
tworiverstreads.com/category/endurance-engine/
Dr. Phil Maffetone on his 180 method: philmaffetone.com/180-formula
http://www.crozetrunning.com/back-to-fitness-jan-2014-fat-burning/
