Average Speed

[Parrot of Doom]

el stovey said:

Are you making that up?

No, it's quite true. Have a look around, read up on heart rate zones.

[anonymous-user]

Parrot of Doom said:

No, it's quite true. Have a look around, read up on heart rate zones.

Over the same time, you'll lose more weight by keeping your heart rate lower?

Surely the higher the intensity of exercise, the more weight loss over the same time? At higher intensity you'll burn more calories.

A quick google returned this.

"The Ugly Truth

The body does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in the 'fat burning zone' or at lower intensities. But, at higher intensities, you burn a greater number of overall calories which is what you should be concerned about when trying to lose weight. The chart below details the fat calories expended by a 130-pound woman during cardio exercise:

Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR / High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 / 6.86
Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 / 2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 / 206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 / 82
Percentage of fat calories burned 50% / 39.85%

From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000"

Edited by el stovey on Friday 4th February 13:14

[Raven Flyer]

Your body cannot process fat quickly enough during rigorous exercise so it will burn what it needs above what it gets from fat, from your non fat reserves.

If the purpose of the exercise is to burn fat, the secret is to only drink water and eat nothing for an hour before and two hours after the exercise. If you do this, your body will continue to burn fat after you finish. Effectively, you get an extra two hours work-out for free.

[okgo]

Really? Is that true?

[Raven Flyer]

So my spin instructor mate says.

I can see how it can work. I can also see how you could bonk very, very easily.

[okgo]

Big time.

I only go 12 miles each way, so not really far enough to bonk, but still by 5.30 after having eaten at 1. I can feel low on energy at times!

I might give it a go though, see what happens.

[HundredthIdiot]

Raven Flyer said:

Your body cannot process fat quickly enough during rigorous exercise so it will burn what it needs above what it gets from fat, from your non fat reserves.

If the purpose of the exercise is to burn fat, the secret is to only drink water and eat nothing for an hour before and two hours after the exercise. If you do this, your body will continue to burn fat after you finish. Effectively, you get an extra two hours work-out for free.

It doesn't matter when you eat. Calories in, calories out. Glycogen stores need replenishing, muscle mass requires maintance. If you use more than you eat, you will lose weight.

[dubbs]

Burning calories is one thing, burning calories through fat is another. Your body has a finite glycogen level in the muscles which gets burned and it will use fat to replenish those reserves however, if you are going at too high an intensity then the body can't respond to the call for energy fast enough so it will shortcut and convert mass to energy direct at the muscle. This means some of the weight you lose is counterproductive as it's muscle mass, which of course you want as much of as possible to keep your overall burng rate up e.g, Basal Metabolic rate will take in to account muscle mass plus any exercise using those muscles will have more "burn".

A 60 minute run at 140bpm would burn more efficiently than a 20 minute run at 170bpm for example.

Where it can be interpreted wrongly however is that a 45minute run at 130bpm will burn more fat than a 45minute run at 150bpm... it won't.

In addition to the above you can "train" the body to burn more efficiently too.

All of the above is down to individual heart rate zones as well so, like anything, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing so better to get as informed as possible about how your body works and working out your HR zones before embarking on any plans you read online.