LOW IMPACT VS HIGH IMPACT

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NatStylz
NatStylz Posts: 38
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been on my weight loss journey for about 6 months. I have changed my eating habits and it has helped me to lose almost 30 pounds! However, with the exercise I started doing low impact exercise on the treadmill (walking 30 - 60 mins), however in recent months I have been doing p90x and insanity workouts. They have helped me loose another half a stone.

However, I have hearing that high intensity workouts only use up energy provided by carbohydrates and low intensity workouts use mostly the fat stores.

Is this true?
Thanks :)


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Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    nope, that's false. Low intensity burns a higher percentage of fat calories, but since overall calorie burn is far higher in high intensity, the total calories burned from fat for high intensity is STILL higher than low intensity.
  • NatStylz
    NatStylz Posts: 38
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    However, doesn't it make sense that low impact will use fat stores, and carbs are used for immediate energy?
  • kidzpastorlynn
    kidzpastorlynn Posts: 15
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    According to my nutrition instructor. If you want to lose fat. Low impact exercises burn more fat... the percentage of fat burned after the first 20 minutes is much greater. So, the first 20 minutes is normal percentage of burn. Everything after the first 20 minutes (without a break) increases to mostly all fat burn. Keeps me going :o)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    However, doesn't it make sense that low impact will use fat stores, and carbs are used for immediate energy?

    well, to a degree this is true. it's hormonal actually, exercise induces stress which activates certain hormones that release more fat to use as energy, as the demands rise (intensity goes up) the fat can't keep up with the demand, thus you burn carbs as well.

    BUT

    you're still burning the same amount of fat (actually a little more) at higher intensity levels, you're just also burning carbs too. Actually you're burning glucose, which is a metabolic derivative of carbs so... 6 of 1...

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