Do you want to Lose Fat?

==== ====Do you want to Lose Fat?http://fatburningfurnaceextra.com/==== ====Most people are aware that doing some form of exercise is beneficial, not only for losing unwantedbody fat, but also for improving overall health. However, many are unaware of certain factors thatcan significantly increase the fat burning potential while performing exercise and during recovery(rest). Four of the most important factors to consider are: time interval from last meal, type of pre-exercise meal, intensity of aerobic exercise and type of exercise (aerobic versus resistancetraining).Time Interval from Last Meal to Exercise PerformanceHow long should someone wait before performing exercise in order to maximize the amount of fatburned during exercise and while resting? There are a number of studies that address this veryquestion and have shown that fat burning is greater when exercise is performed after an overnightfast or in the morning before having breakfast.One such study (1) looked at eleven overweight and untrained men over a 4-month course ofdoing aerobic exercise performed after either an overnight fast or 3-hours after consuming astandard meal. The authors noted that the amount of fat burned during exercise was significantlyhigher following an overnight fast than after 3-hours post-meal. They also observed that fatburning was even higher during the recovery (resting) phase in the fasting group. In conclusion,the amount of fat burned during exercise and while resting was more pronounced when exercisewas performed after an overnight fast as opposed to 3-hours after eating a meal.But, what if you cannot exercise first thing in the morning due to time restraints, and working outlater in the afternoon or evening is more practical - what are your options? The timing of your lastmeal is still very important as to the amount of fat burned during your exercise session.Researches (2) studied the effects of exercise on fat burning in eight overweight and obesewomen in two trials of exercise: one performed 1-hour after a meal and the other performed 3-hours after the consuming the same meal. The amount of fat burned was greater during exerciseand during rest in the 3-hour post-meal group.Bottom Line: If your goal is to lose body fat, then the longer you wait after eating a meal the morefat you will burn not only during exercise, but afterwards while resting.Pre-exercise MealWhat you eat prior to performing exercise is also very important regarding the amount of fatburned during exercise and afterwards during recovery. Individuals who consume carbohydratesbefore exercising, especially alone, in large amounts or high in glycemic rating, inhibit their abilityto burn body fat during exercise and afterwards at rest. Eight healthy sedentary women were fed

either a high-glycemic or low-glycemic breakfast 3-hours before walking for 60-minutes(3). Each ofthe meals had the same amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat and total calories, but differed inglycemic index rating and total fiber: the low-glycemic index meal was higher in fiber. Theresearches noted that the amount of fat burned during exercise was twice as much after the low-glycemic meal than the high-glycemic meal both consumed 3-hours before exercise. The amountof fat burned during post-exercise resting was also higher in the low-glycemic index group.The glycemic index rating reflects the speed at which carbohydrates are digested and absorbedinto the bloodstream resulting in elevations in blood sugar and insulin. The higher the glycemicindex rating the more rapid the absorption and subsequent blood sugar and insulin elevations.Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas gland, regulates sugar and fat utilization. Whenelevated, fats release from fat cells is inhibited.Some common high-glycemic foods consumed at breakfast are cereals (corn, rice, wheat), instantoatmeal, white flour baked goods (toast, bagels, croissants, doughnuts), sweetened jams, andwhite potatoes (hash browns).Bottom Line: If your goal is to burn body fat, then consume low-glycemic carbohydrates incombination with quality proteins and fats at least 3-hours prior to performing exercise. Do notconsume sports drinks, sugary fruit juices or high-glycemic carbohydrates before regular exercise- doing so will inhibit your fat burning potential.Intensity of ExerciseGenerally, the amount of fat burned during exercise is inversely proportional to the intensity level.In other words, the higher the exercise intensity the less fat is burned (while exercising) with sugar(glucose) becoming the dominate fuel source. Of course, this is a very simplistic interpretation -the actual intensity level of exercise is relevant to your fitness status. The better shape you are in,the more efficiently your muscles will burn fat during exercise and while at rest.Aerobic fitness is determined by an individuals ability (heart and lungs) to supply the tissues withoxygen during exercise, and is known as VO2max. The higher someones VO2max, the greaterhis or her aerobic fitness. The goal is to increase your ability to burn fat during exercise whileincreasing overall aerobic fitness. Research (4) has shown us that exercising at 40% VO2max isthe optimal for burning fat during exercise and greater aerobic capacity is achieved whenexercising at 60-80% VO2max. How do you translate VO2max in a more realistic or easy way tounderstand and use? Without fancy lab equipment or exercise testing, an easy way to determineyour desired exercise intensity range is to calculate your maximum heart rate - all you need is yourage and a simple formula (5).Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax) = 205.8 - (0.685 x age)Example Age = 45205.8 - (0.685 x 45)205.8 - 30.83 = 175HRmax = 175 beats per minuteNow that you know how to calculate your maximum heart rate, all you have to do is take a

percentage of that number based on your desired intensity level for maximizing your fat burningpotential: 40% VO2max is equivalent to 63% of maximum heart rate (6). To improve aerobiccapacity and fitness, increasing to and 60% VO2max is equivalent to 75% maximum heart rate,and 80% VO2max is equivalent to 88% maximum heart rate. Using the maximum heart rateexample above, you can easily determine your optimum fat burning and aerobic fitness heart ratezone.175 maximum heart rate x 63% = 110 beats per minute175 maximum heart rate x 75% = 131 beats per minute175 maximum heart rate x 88% = 154 beats per minuteIn the above example, the optimum heart rate during exercise for fat burning is 110 beats perminute, and to increase aerobic fitness the heart rate range is 131-154 beats per minutes.However, since burning fat is best achieved at lower intensities and improved aerobic fitness isaccomplished when exercising at higher intensities - how does one manage to accomplish both?One solution is interval aerobic training. This type of aerobic exercise incorporates both low-intensity and high-intensity in one workout session. An example of this type of exercise: warm upfor a few minutes at a low intensity then increase your intensity to 63% of your maximum heartrate or in the above example, 110 beats per minute. Exercise at this intensity for 5-minutes thenincrease your intensity to 75%-88% of your maximum heart rate for 1-minute (131-154 beats perminute in the above example). Next, slow your intensity returning to your 63% maximum heart ratefor another 5-minute session, repeat this 5 to 1, 5 to 1 minute interval until your desired time ofexercise is finished. At the end of the session, cool down for a few minutes at a lower intensitybefore stopping.Bottom Line: If your goal is to burn fat, implement an interval aerobic training program. Exercise at63% of your maximum heart rate with periodic increases in intensity to between 75 to 88% of yourmaximum heart rate. Of course, only exercise if you are a physically able and have been clearedto do so by your doctor.Type of Exercise (aerobic versus resistance training)Both aerobic and resistance training (weight-lifting) are important forms of exercise that developdifferent systems and require various forms of fuels to sustain. As explained above, aerobicexercise performed at lower intensities burns more fat during the exercise, but when the intensityin increased more sugar is utilized. Resistance training is a high-intensity form of exercise andconsequently requires the utilization of sugar rather than fat while performing the exercise, butduring post-exercise recovery the amount of fat burned increases. So the question becomes howshould one incorporate these types of exercises?Is doing aerobic exercise combined with resistance training (weightlifting) performed in the samesession (concurrent training) better than doing them separately on alternating days? Studies show,that doing resistance training alone is superior to aerobic exercise in burning fat calories within twohours post-exercise. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) andrepresents the amount of oxygen utilized by the body to return to pre-exercise status - during thistime period, body fat is broken down to supply the energy needed.

Researchers (7) also compared two exercise sessions: aerobic immediately (within 5-minutes)followed by resistance training and then resistance training immediately (within 5-minutes)followed by aerobic exercise. They concluded that doing aerobic immediately followed byresistance training was comparable to doing resistance training alone regarding EPOC. In otherwords, performing resistance training alone (separate session) and doing aerobic immediatelyfollowed by resistance were comparably effective in burning body fat, with a slight edge toresistance training alone. Regarding overall performance as measured by the physiologicalintended effects of aerobic exercise and resistance exercise, performing each type of exercisealone is superior than combining them into the same session. In other words, maximum results areachieved from resistance training when performed separately and on alternating days, and thesame is true of aerobic exercise.Resistance training routines should be designed based on individual ability, medical and fitnessstatus, and should be adjusted and/or changed every 6 to 8 weeks reflecting progress.Incremental adjustments to exercise type, sequence, frequency, intensity and duration are criticalin preventing muscle adaptation and "burnout," and allows for continued overall improvement.Bottom Line: Overall, the only real advantage of doing concurrent exercise is time-efficiency.Otherwise, doing aerobic and resistance training separately and on alternating days is superiorwhen considering fat burning (EPOC) potential and maximum exercise performance. Periodicadjustments based on individual progress are important to avoid muscle adaptation and to allowfor continued metabolic and fitness improvement.References CitedCrampes et al, Effects of a longitudinal training program on responses to exercise in overweightmen, Obesity Research (2003); 11(2):244-256Dumortier et al, Substrate oxidation during exercise: impact of time interval from last meal inobese women, International Journal of Obesity (2005); 29:966-974Stevenson et al, Fat oxidation during exercise and satiety during recovery are increased followinga low-glycemic index breakfast in sedentary women, Journal of Nutrition (2009); 139:890-897Jeukendrop et al, Fat Metabolism during Exercise: A Review Part II: Regulation of Metabolism andthe effects of training, International Journal of Sports Medicine (1998); 19:293-302Inbar et al, Normal cardiopulmonary responses during incremental exercise in 20-70 year old men,Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (1994); 26(5):538-546Swain et al, Target HR for the development of CV fitness, Medicine & Science in Sports &Exercise (1994); 26(1):112-116Drummond et al, Aerobic and resistance exercise sequence affects excess post-exercise oxygenconsumption, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2005); 19(2):332-337Author: Dr. Michael R. Sardone is a board certified chiropractic physician specializing in functionaland alternative medicine, nutrition and fitness with over 29 years of clinical experience. Dr.Sardone is founder of the Do It Right Health and Fitness Lifestyle Program and author of TheNaked Truth: Overweight, Overwhelmed and Confused (2009). For additional information pleasevisit http://www.drsardone.com

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Do you want to Lose Fat?

by Vince Lim on Jan 06, 2012

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