does cardio burn fat?

jardimgirl
jardimgirl Posts: 522 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
silly question, but on the scoobyworkshop web site i saw a video and he says the best way to lose fat in terms of exercise is cardio.. true or false????

Replies

  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    Can of worms that buddy. There are all sorts of opinions.

    Yes it burns calories which is what you need to loose weight ( a calorie deficit) but it doesn't directly burn fat.

    People suggest doing interval cardio to keep your heart rate high, low high etc for a number of times as this helps continue to burn calories through out the day/ after exercise. Others also argue that you need to build muscle/ strength to burn more calories etc.
  • Lineape
    Lineape Posts: 9
    Yes, cardio does burn fat. All types of cardio, including walking, jogging, rowing, etc. Just remember with cardio that the best type is the one you enjoy and can stick with long-term.
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    I personally lost a lot of weight from a combination of good diet on a deficit while eating lots of protein and nutrient rich foods while running. I managed to work up from not being able to run a mile to running half a marathon in about 5 months.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Cardio burns fat while you are doing it. Muscle burns fat 24/7 ... and is obviously the better option. So gaining muscle is better long term than doing endless hours of cardio. I do some of both .. and it is working well.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Is it the best way? IDK. But you can lose fat during cardio workouts. Ideally, a combination of strength(or resistance) training and cardio, but this is my opinion and it worked well for me. 1/3 of my body fat, 22 pounds gone by during cardio 3 x's a week and lifting 2 x's a week roughly, and eating at TDEE less 20%. Hope this helps.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Yes, cardio does burn fat. All types of cardio, including walking, jogging, rowing, etc. Just remember with cardio that the best type is the one you enjoy and can stick with long-term.
    Cardio burns calories. Where the fuel source comes from will depend on how full storage is on glycogen.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    Cardio helps create a deficit in calories. To lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than your body uses. It is quicker to create the deficit with cardio.

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