Can anyone answer this

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countingdown
countingdown Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I use an HRM to measure calories burned during excercise. (Polar F11) I just noticed today that when I excercise within my target zone, I burn more fat as opposed to when I exceed my target zone. When I exceed my target zone the HRM shows a less percentage of fat burned. Does this mean the less intesity, the more fat burned.

I hope I'm explaining this clearly. Can anyone explain this to me?

Thanks

Replies

  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
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    Once you pass a certain heart rate as a percent of max you will begin breaking down muscle tissue for energy instead of fat. The difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
  • countingdown
    countingdown Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks. So I guess that means if I'm mainly trying to burn fat to stay within my target zone????
  • deejayy
    deejayy Posts: 7
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    as I understand it, when you exercise to intensely (i.e. heart rate too high), the body uses muscle / protein / carbs for energy, not fat. Fat is burned during exercise that is less intense but is sustained for a (relatively) long period of time (i.e. walking for an hour). Sprinting to catch the bus would probably fall into the non-fat-burning exercise category.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Best I can remember, you hit your target fat burning heart zone first, then your calorie burning zone second.
  • GoingToLoseIt
    GoingToLoseIt Posts: 171
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    Thanks. So I guess that means if I'm mainly trying to burn fat to stay within my target zone????

    You got it - stay within the target zone to burn the most fat!
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
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    while at a higher intensity you burn more overall calories, you burn less from fat alone. In your target zone you burn less over all cals but more from fat alone.

    clear as mud? :smile:


    edit: I tend just to go for it and burn away the most cals cuz it's cals in and out I figure i'm doing my body good by exercising either way and those fat ones will be blasted at somepoint! :bigsmile:
  • HeatherBurke
    HeatherBurke Posts: 147
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    Once you pass a certain heart rate as a percent of max you will begin breaking down muscle tissue for energy instead of fat. The difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

    How do you figure out your target fat burning heart rate?? I know when I get on the elliptical I can not go slow enough to just stay in that zone that they say is the fat burn as opposed to the cardio otherwise I feel like I'm going to fall off and get super bored... Idk what to do to get into the right zone... As soon as I start exercising my heart rate sky rockets, it's somewhat fast as it is... I'm lost....
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
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    I am also lost... :indifferent:
  • Magenta15
    Magenta15 Posts: 850 Member
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    so, to expand on my comment above....

    Like many concepts in fat loss and fitness - there are a number of different arguments. However many people agree that a heart rate of 60-70% of your maximum is best when you are aiming to burn fat and are on a reduced calorie diet. At this zone more calories are burned from fat (during the exercise).

    However; higher heart rates burn more calories in a shorter period of time, and provide a metabolism boost (afterburn) - however fewer calories are burned from fat (during the activity). Confused?!


    :laugh:
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
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    To find your target heart rate, do this:

    Subtract your age from 220. This will give you your maximum heart rate. For me, this is 201.

    Now find 60% of that. In a calculator (there is one in the Accessories area of your computer) multiple your maximum heart rate by .6. For me, this turns out to be 121 (actually, 120.6, but close enough). Next, multiple your maximum heart rate by .8. I get 161 (again, it's actually 160.8, but whatever).
    So, those last two number we got are the important ones.
    So for a person nineteen years of age, their target heart rate would be 121-161 bpm (beats per minute).

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