Fat burn vs. Fitness

austepants

Can someone explain the benefits of working out in your "fat burn" zone based on your heart rate using a hrm? How about "fitness". I burn way more calories at the fitness rate vs when Im in fat burn. I have a Polar FT7 HRM and it has itself set for fitness is anything over 123 bpm. this is based I'm assuming of my weight of 187, 5'2 and being 28... does that seem accurate?

vorgas

Short Answer: Look at the zones as minimums to achieve what's listed. Each zone you move up, hits the achievements for all the goals below it as well.

Explanation: Your body has two primary energy paths. The aerobic path is when oxygen is combined with fat to produce energy. The anaerobic path is when your body uses the carbohydrates stored in the muscles (it's called glycogen).

Aerobic exercise happens when your HR is below 75% of your maximum HR. This is the sort of exercise that most people, especially here on MFP call 'cardio'. This is a fairly slow process. It takes time for fat and oxygen to mix. As your HR goes above 65%, your body begins to use glycogen to help supplement the activity. As your HR rises, more and more of the energy is supplied through glycogen.

This does not mean your body stops mixing fat and oxygen! It's just that the percentage of fuel from fat drops. You're still burning almost as much fat! So when you're in the 'fat burning' zone, that's basically the minimum level required to really get the aerobic process going well. Moving up to the 'fitness' zone continues to burn fat, but it has a number of added benefits, such as improved muscular endurance, greater endorphin release, improved metabolism, etc. When you go higher into the 'cardio' zone your heart is getting really worked out. In addition to doing everything else so far, it has the added benefit of improving your cardio-vascular and cardio-pulmonary systems.

Make sense?

Disclaimers: Your body will use food in your intestines to provide energy. It can also break down amino acids/muscles to provide fuel. However, this is a relatively small amount of the total energy provided, unless you are seriously exceeding normal functioning limits.

During aerobic exercise, glycogen will be used before your HR hits 65%. It's just not a significant amount.

eso2012

Short Answer: Look at the zones as minimums to achieve what's listed. Each zone you move up, hits the achievements for all the goals below it as well.

Explanation: Your body has two primary energy paths. The aerobic path is when oxygen is combined with fat to produce energy. The anaerobic path is when your body uses the carbohydrates stored in the muscles (it's called glycogen).

Aerobic exercise happens when your HR is below 75% of your maximum HR. This is the sort of exercise that most people, especially here on MFP call 'cardio'. This is a fairly slow process. It takes time for fat and oxygen to mix. As your HR goes above 65%, your body begins to use glycogen to help supplement the activity. As your HR rises, more and more of the energy is supplied through glycogen.

This does not mean your body stops mixing fat and oxygen! It's just that the percentage of fuel from fat drops. You're still burning almost as much fat! So when you're in the 'fat burning' zone, that's basically the minimum level required to really get the aerobic process going well. Moving up to the 'fitness' zone continues to burn fat, but it has a number of added benefits, such as improved muscular endurance, greater endorphin release, improved metabolism, etc. When you go higher into the 'cardio' zone your heart is getting really worked out. In addition to doing everything else so far, it has the added benefit of improving your cardio-vascular and cardio-pulmonary systems.

Make sense?

Disclaimers: Your body will use food in your intestines to provide energy. It can also break down amino acids/muscles to provide fuel. However, this is a relatively small amount of the total energy provided, unless you are seriously exceeding normal functioning limits.

Just want to say, thank you, one of the most concise and clear explanations I have read

austepants

Short Answer: Look at the zones as minimums to achieve what's listed. Each zone you move up, hits the achievements for all the goals below it as well.

Explanation: Your body has two primary energy paths. The aerobic path is when oxygen is combined with fat to produce energy. The anaerobic path is when your body uses the carbohydrates stored in the muscles (it's called glycogen).

Aerobic exercise happens when your HR is below 75% of your maximum HR. This is the sort of exercise that most people, especially here on MFP call 'cardio'. This is a fairly slow process. It takes time for fat and oxygen to mix. As your HR goes above 65%, your body begins to use glycogen to help supplement the activity. As your HR rises, more and more of the energy is supplied through glycogen.

This does not mean your body stops mixing fat and oxygen! It's just that the percentage of fuel from fat drops. You're still burning almost as much fat! So when you're in the 'fat burning' zone, that's basically the minimum level required to really get the aerobic process going well. Moving up to the 'fitness' zone continues to burn fat, but it has a number of added benefits, such as improved muscular endurance, greater endorphin release, improved metabolism, etc. When you go higher into the 'cardio' zone your heart is getting really worked out. In addition to doing everything else so far, it has the added benefit of improving your cardio-vascular and cardio-pulmonary systems.

Make sense?

Disclaimers: Your body will use food in your intestines to provide energy. It can also break down amino acids/muscles to provide fuel. However, this is a relatively small amount of the total energy provided, unless you are seriously exceeding normal functioning limits.

During aerobic exercise, glycogen will be used before your HR hits 65%. It's just not a significant amount.

Thank you so much!!!

DavPul

Shorter answer: those "zones" are ridiculous and should be roundly ignored. If you are in a deficit, burning more calories means you are going to burn more fat. Period. Slowing down for recovery reasons is legit. Slowing down to burn more fat is.....I'll be polite and say 'not legit'.

Skye_NS

Short Answer: Look at the zones as minimums to achieve what's listed. Each zone you move up, hits the achievements for all the goals below it as well.

Explanation: Your body has two primary energy paths. The aerobic path is when oxygen is combined with fat to produce energy. The anaerobic path is when your body uses the carbohydrates stored in the muscles (it's called glycogen).

Aerobic exercise happens when your HR is below 75% of your maximum HR. This is the sort of exercise that most people, especially here on MFP call 'cardio'. This is a fairly slow process. It takes time for fat and oxygen to mix. As your HR goes above 65%, your body begins to use glycogen to help supplement the activity. As your HR rises, more and more of the energy is supplied through glycogen.

This does not mean your body stops mixing fat and oxygen! It's just that the percentage of fuel from fat drops. You're still burning almost as much fat! So when you're in the 'fat burning' zone, that's basically the minimum level required to really get the aerobic process going well. Moving up to the 'fitness' zone continues to burn fat, but it has a number of added benefits, such as improved muscular endurance, greater endorphin release, improved metabolism, etc. When you go higher into the 'cardio' zone your heart is getting really worked out. In addition to doing everything else so far, it has the added benefit of improving your cardio-vascular and cardio-pulmonary systems.

Make sense?

Disclaimers: Your body will use food in your intestines to provide energy. It can also break down amino acids/muscles to provide fuel. However, this is a relatively small amount of the total energy provided, unless you are seriously exceeding normal functioning limits.

During aerobic exercise, glycogen will be used before your HR hits 65%. It's just not a significant amount.

Here's a late thank you for this reply. It was exactly what I was looking for when I opted to search instead of starting a new topic. Makes a lot of sense. Much appreciated!

Yagisama

I know anaerobic respiration results in lactic acid and the generation of less energy (ATP). I don't do enough intense activity but are high HP workouts for long durations something common and if so is lactic acid buildup just something unavoidable, or does having an intensity interval address that issue?

MeanderingMammal

..... but are high HP workouts for long durations something common....

Depends what your training objectives are. Long tempo/ threshold sessions will help raise the lactate threshold, so condition the system to perform at higher intensities for longer.

As part of my Half Marathon plan my tempo sessions are anything from 25 minutes to an hour at the moment.

Interval sessions work on VO2Max.