The Fat Burning Zone

hpsnickers1

For anyone who walks to burn fat check out 'walking.about.com'. Loads of information and weekly workouts!

The Fat Burning Zone:

Definition: In this zone of exercise intensity, the body uses stored fat for energy. At 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. The walker should first warm up by walking for 10 minutes at an easier pace, this burns off the blood sugar and stored glycogen so that fat-burning can begin. Walk in this zone for 30 minutes to an hour before cooling down for 5-10 minutes at an easier pace.

If you walk at a higher heart rate, you burn less fat and may kick over into anaerobic metabolism where you build up lactic acid and burn protein instead of fat once you have run out of blood sugar.

amycal

So should someone who really wants to burn fat stay in this zone? The other day on the elliptical I struggled to stay here - I easily could have gone above 120 which is cardio level for me.

willimh

Thanks for the info. I am going to check the site out.

doggiemomma

For anyone who walks to burn fat check out 'walking.about.com'. Loads of information and weekly workouts!

The Fat Burning Zone:

Definition: In this zone of exercise intensity, the body uses stored fat for energy. At 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. The walker should first warm up by walking for 10 minutes at an easier pace, this burns off the blood sugar and stored glycogen so that fat-burning can begin. Walk in this zone for 30 minutes to an hour before cooling down for 5-10 minutes at an easier pace.

If you walk at a higher heart rate, you burn less fat and may kick over into anaerobic metabolism where you build up lactic acid and burn protein instead of fat once you have run out of blood sugar.

Thank you for this info. I had always wondered but wasn't sure. THANKS. I will remember that when I go to the gym tonight.

I do have one question but you may not be able to answer... When it says easier pace does that mean the lower end of your target heart rate or below your target heart rate?

Positively_Me

thanks!

xxthursday09xx

ok wait...I'm confused. Does this mean we shouldn't go above our fat burning zone and into our cardio zone?

erickirb

So should someone who really wants to burn fat stay in this zone? The other day on the elliptical I struggled to stay here - I easily could have gone above 120 which is cardio level for me.

Not quite,

FYI, you will burn more calories at the higher level, even more calories from fat. Although a smaller % will come from fat at the higher intensity more fat calories overall will be burned due to more total calories being burned. 85% of 100 calories would be 85 cals from fat whereas at higher intensity you may burn 120 with 75% being from fat which would be 90 cals from fat, more than the 85 at the lower intensity.

hpsnickers1

So should someone who really wants to burn fat stay in this zone? The other day on the elliptical I struggled to stay here - I easily could have gone above 120 which is cardio level for me.

Not quite,

FYI, you will burn more calories at the higher level, even more calories from fat. Although a smaller % will come from fat at the higher intensity more fat calories overall will be burned due to more total calories being burned. 85% of 100 calories would be 85 cals from fat whereas at higher intensity you may burn 120 with 75% being from fat which would be 90 cals from fat, more than the 85 at the lower intensity.

I'm just saying you don't have to kill yourself to burn some fat. I'm not trying to get into too much detail. I thought I would post it because I have gotten a lot of information from the website. They do recommend vigorous intensity workouts but not at every workout. I've had more luck with weight loss at the moderate intensity. When I spent all my time trying to workout as hard as I could I got nowhere. Now something is actually happening. I do strength training also.

Azdak

I know the OP is trying to post helpful information, and I hate to be the bad guy, but the fundamental idea behind the "fat burning" zone has been disproven and others reading this topic might make changes to their exercise routine that would be detrimental, under the mistaken idea that they were "burning more fat".

The body uses a mixture of fuel substrates -- primarily fats and carbohydrates--during exercise. The ratio of fats:carbs is determined primarily by the intensity of the workout. At lower intensities one burns a higher percentage of fat--that percentage decreases as intensity increases.

However, the type of fuel burned during exercise and the amount of fat burned during exercise has virtually NO EFFECT on oxidizing (burning up) stored body fat. Studies have shown pretty definitively that total fat oxidation over 24 hours is not affected by how much fat was "burned" during exercise. In other words, someone who burns more fat during exercise will burn less the rest of the day and vice versa--the body compensates so that, after 24 hours, total fat oxidation is the same.

The primary stimulus that causes the body to burn more fat is the maintenance of a negative energy balance--i.e. taking in fewer calories than you expend. Exercise helps by burning a large number of calories and contributing to the caloric deficit.

A balanced and effective workout program should include lower-intensity endurance training, medium-intensity tempo training and high-intensity interval training. That will help you maximize your calorie burn and give you the best chance to lose body fat.

whyflysouth

I know the OP is trying to post helpful information, and I hate to be the bad guy, but the fundamental idea behind the "fat burning" zone has been disproven and others reading this topic might make changes to their exercise routine that would be detrimental, under the mistaken idea that they were "burning more fat".

The body uses a mixture of fuel substrates -- primarily fats and carbohydrates--during exercise. The ratio of fats:carbs is determined primarily by the intensity of the workout. At lower intensities one burns a higher percentage of fat--that percentage decreases as intensity increases.

However, the type of fuel burned during exercise and the amount of fat burned during exercise has virtually NO EFFECT on oxidizing (burning up) stored body fat. Studies have shown pretty definitively that total fat oxidation over 24 hours is not affected by how much fat was "burned" during exercise. In other words, someone who burns more fat during exercise will burn less the rest of the day and vice versa--the body compensates so that, after 24 hours, total fat oxidation is the same.

The primary stimulus that causes the body to burn more fat is the maintenance of a negative energy balance--i.e. taking in fewer calories than you expend. Exercise helps by burning a large number of calories and contributing to the caloric deficit.

A balanced and effective workout program should include lower-intensity endurance training, medium-intensity tempo training and high-intensity interval training. That will help you maximize your calorie burn and give you the best chance to lose body fat.

...so if you just NOT EAT 100 calories less out of your normal diet, from the body fat burning perspective, you've just walked a mile...(from a cardiovascular and metabolic perspective it would've been more beneficial to walk the mile though). Also I'd imagine that you might be losing some muscle while putting your body under a deficit, right? Would love to have some device tell me how much muscle / fat I'm gaining or losing on a daily basis

hpsnickers1

I know the OP is trying to post helpful information, and I hate to be the bad guy, but the fundamental idea behind the "fat burning" zone has been disproven and others reading this topic might make changes to their exercise routine that would be detrimental, under the mistaken idea that they were "burning more fat".

The body uses a mixture of fuel substrates -- primarily fats and carbohydrates--during exercise. The ratio of fats:carbs is determined primarily by the intensity of the workout. At lower intensities one burns a higher percentage of fat--that percentage decreases as intensity increases.

However, the type of fuel burned during exercise and the amount of fat burned during exercise has virtually NO EFFECT on oxidizing (burning up) stored body fat. Studies have shown pretty definitively that total fat oxidation over 24 hours is not affected by how much fat was "burned" during exercise. In other words, someone who burns more fat during exercise will burn less the rest of the day and vice versa--the body compensates so that, after 24 hours, total fat oxidation is the same.

The primary stimulus that causes the body to burn more fat is the maintenance of a negative energy balance--i.e. taking in fewer calories than you expend. Exercise helps by burning a large number of calories and contributing to the caloric deficit.

A balanced and effective workout program should include lower-intensity endurance training, medium-intensity tempo training and high-intensity interval training. That will help you maximize your calorie burn and give you the best chance to lose body fat.

Yes I have figured that out. It seems while one person says this is fact another person says the same thing is 'myth'. It all comes down to how YOU choose to lose your weight. I was just trying to put my own input in - apparently didn't do a very good job of it.

I did find this:

Pump Up the Walking Speed
Should I Go Slow or Fast to Burn More Fat?
By Therese Iknoian

Let's get one thing straight before we start talking about how fast you should walk: Moving at any speed is better than not moving at all. Every time you take one step, you're giving your heart, lungs and muscles a shot of health and longevity.


Now that you're moving, though, you begin to ask yourself what you can do to get more out of your walking workout. Obviously, speed is one way to pump up muscles tone, health gained and calories used.

I'd prefer walkers look at health benefits and didn't count calories used on a workout because -- as you'll see in a minute -- the total advantage gained can disappear after one sliver of cheesecake or even a healthy turkey sandwich. Take a look at my story "Weight Loss & Exercise" to check out the physiology of exercise's benefits besides calories burned.

But if you really gotta know, here's the scoop on speed:

When it comes to pace, remember, increases in calories used are exponential, not linear. For example, going from a 20-minute mile to a 15-minute mile, you'll use 30 percent more calories per minute. Increase your pace from a 15-minute mile to a 12-minute mile, and you'll use 50 percent more per minute. Take it from a 15-minute pace to a speed-demon 10-minute pace, and you'll double calories used per minute. (My book Walking Fast has a section on calorie use.)

Of course, as you go faster, it takes less time to cover the mile, so you have to stay out there the same amount of time, increasing the distance as you get faster.

Note: Runners don't get these exponential increases because it takes about the same amount of energy no matter how fast you go. Walkers have to work extra hard to actually stay on the ground rather than leap into the air into a run. For anyone who's tried to walk really fast, you know that point where your body says, "Forget this! Let's run!"

Just to satisfy your curiosity, then, here are the approximate numbers. Remember, calories used vary greatly from person to person depending on weight, body fat, fitness level, personal metabolism, terrain, weather and all kinds of other things. The numbers calculated below apply to an 150-pound person. For every 25 pounds more or less, add or subtract about 15 percent.

Pace Calories (per 45 minute walk)
30-minute mile 90
20-minute mile 180
15-minute mile 270
12-minute mile 405
10-minute mile 540

Fat Burning? Forget the myths about going slower or at a lower intensity to burn more fat. Yes, your body chooses a slightly higher percentage of fat as fuel at lower intensities, but the total number of calories is also lower, as you can see above. Walking at the highest intensity you can comfortably stick with for the distance without hurting yourself will use more total calories and, in the long run, more total body fat.

If you don't have a lot of time for a walk, at least make those few minutes really hearty ones to get the best workout you can.

Walking Fast - Everything you want to known about how to walk faster for a better workout, to burn more calories, or for higher performance.

binary_jester

I pretty much dismissed this when I read about the effectiveness of interval training.

hpsnickers1

For anyone who walks to burn fat check out 'walking.about.com'. Loads of information and weekly workouts!

The Fat Burning Zone:

Definition: In this zone of exercise intensity, the body uses stored fat for energy. At 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. The walker should first warm up by walking for 10 minutes at an easier pace, this burns off the blood sugar and stored glycogen so that fat-burning can begin. Walk in this zone for 30 minutes to an hour before cooling down for 5-10 minutes at an easier pace.

If you walk at a higher heart rate, you burn less fat and may kick over into anaerobic metabolism where you build up lactic acid and burn protein instead of fat once you have run out of blood sugar.

Ok, I stand corrected. Here is another article (but I do believe lower-intensity workouts wouldn't turn out to be 'detrimental' to a weight loss plan). And this is my last post regarding an article since you can't rely on any info from the Internet. And I still like walking.about.com:

Myth: I will lose body fat more efficiently by working out in the fat-burning zone—doing my aerobic workouts at a low, rather than high, intensity.

Explanation: Many aerobic exercise programs and videos feature low-intensity workouts purporting to maximize fat burning. The argument is that low-intensity aerobic training will allow your body to use more fat as an energy source, thereby accelerating the loss of body fat. While it is true that a higher proportion of calories burned during low-intensity exercise come from fat (about 60 percent as opposed to approximately 35 percent from high-intensity programs), high-intensity exercise still burns more calories from fat in the final analysis.

For example, if you perform 30 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise (i.e., at a level of 50 percent of maximal exercise capacity), you'll burn approximately 200 calories. About 120 of those, or 60 percent, come from fat. However, exercising for the same amount of time at a high intensity (i.e., 75 percent of your maximal exercise capacity) will burn approximately 400 calories, and 35 percent of them, or 140 calories, will come from stored fat. So by sticking to the fat-burning zone for their workouts, many individuals are wasting valuable time. Keep in mind that you lose weight and body fat when you expend more calories than you consume, not because you burn fat (or anything else) when you exercise.

Of course, the less intense form of exercise has its benefits as well. For example, because many overweight people tend to find that lower-intensity exercise is more comfortable, they may, therefore, be willing to engage in such workouts. The point to remember is that low-intensity workouts do, in fact, promote weight and fat loss. You just have to do them for a longer period of time.

hpsnickers1

I pretty much dismissed this when I read about the effectiveness of interval training.

Maybe I should've included a little more detail. I don't see everyone lowering the intensity of their workouts because one person said 'walk slower to burn more fat'. I agree with the interval training. I was trying to let the ones who are killing themselves working out as hard as they can know that they can have an easy day.

binary_jester

I pretty much dismissed this when I read about the effectiveness of interval training.

Maybe I should've included a little more detail. I don't see everyone lowering the intensity of their workouts because one person said 'walk slower to burn more fat'. I agree with the interval training. I was trying to let the ones who are killing themselves working out as hard as they can know that they can have an easy day.

The great thing about this site is people posting info and the ensuing discussion. Some arguments may never be settled (hello starvation), but discussion is never bad.

hpsnickers1

I pretty much dismissed this when I read about the effectiveness of interval training.

Maybe I should've included a little more detail. I don't see everyone lowering the intensity of their workouts because one person said 'walk slower to burn more fat'. I agree with the interval training. I was trying to let the ones who are killing themselves working out as hard as they can know that they can have an easy day.

The great thing about this site is people posting info and the ensuing discussion. Some arguments may never be settled (hello starvation), but discussion is never bad.

And I have a terrible habit of taking things too personally. I have Fibromyalgia which I failed to mention. I have a hard time with high intensity workouts. Even though I stretch after my muscles are tight and crampy the rest of the day.
I have done wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much researching on the internet. I am learning that it will just leave you very confused. Whatever works best for the individual...

Azdak

For anyone who walks to burn fat check out 'walking.about.com'. Loads of information and weekly workouts!

The Fat Burning Zone:

Definition: In this zone of exercise intensity, the body uses stored fat for energy. At 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. The walker should first warm up by walking for 10 minutes at an easier pace, this burns off the blood sugar and stored glycogen so that fat-burning can begin. Walk in this zone for 30 minutes to an hour before cooling down for 5-10 minutes at an easier pace.

If you walk at a higher heart rate, you burn less fat and may kick over into anaerobic metabolism where you build up lactic acid and burn protein instead of fat once you have run out of blood sugar.

Ok, I stand corrected. Here is another article (but I do believe lower-intensity workouts wouldn't turn out to be 'detrimental' to a weight loss plan). And this is my last post regarding an article since you can't rely on any info from the Internet. And I still like walking.about.com:

Myth: I will lose body fat more efficiently by working out in the fat-burning zone—doing my aerobic workouts at a low, rather than high, intensity.

Explanation: Many aerobic exercise programs and videos feature low-intensity workouts purporting to maximize fat burning. The argument is that low-intensity aerobic training will allow your body to use more fat as an energy source, thereby accelerating the loss of body fat. While it is true that a higher proportion of calories burned during low-intensity exercise come from fat (about 60 percent as opposed to approximately 35 percent from high-intensity programs), high-intensity exercise still burns more calories from fat in the final analysis.

For example, if you perform 30 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise (i.e., at a level of 50 percent of maximal exercise capacity), you'll burn approximately 200 calories. About 120 of those, or 60 percent, come from fat. However, exercising for the same amount of time at a high intensity (i.e., 75 percent of your maximal exercise capacity) will burn approximately 400 calories, and 35 percent of them, or 140 calories, will come from stored fat. So by sticking to the fat-burning zone for their workouts, many individuals are wasting valuable time. Keep in mind that you lose weight and body fat when you expend more calories than you consume, not because you burn fat (or anything else) when you exercise.

Of course, the less intense form of exercise has its benefits as well. For example, because many overweight people tend to find that lower-intensity exercise is more comfortable, they may, therefore, be willing to engage in such workouts. The point to remember is that low-intensity workouts do, in fact, promote weight and fat loss. You just have to do them for a longer period of time.

Once again, it bears repeating that the percentage of fat burned during a workout, or even the total amount of fat burned during a workout is not particularly relevant. The total amount is tiny to begin with, and exercise workouts don't exist in a separate "universe" than the rest of your life. That 1/2 ounce of fat you burned during a workout (whether high intensity or low intensity) can easily be offset by your eating habits throughout the rest of the day--heck, in the next meal.

The "fat burning" percentages are just rough estimates as well. I recently did a metabolic test and I found that when I was at 85% of so of my VO2 max, I was only burning 7% fat.

Your last paragraph is the most important. Right now, HIIT is a fad that is causing people to say a lot of things they will be embarrassed about down the road. As I said earlier, the most effective routines combine endurance work with interval training--even the holy "tabata" routine included steady-state cycling.

All HIIT and no play makes Jack overtrained.