Training at low intensities \u2013 up to 55% of max heart rate \u2013 is considered to be training in the fat burning zone. Great! So a higher proportion of calories will be burned from fat supplies rather than carbohydrate supplies. Great!<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s the problem?<\/p>\n
Well it\u2019s partly down to the simple equation of calories in versus calories out. A 30-minute cardio session at this intensity will burn 200-300 calories. 1 bottle of Lucozade will replace that!<\/p>\n
Also, a study<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver shows that there is no “after-burn” effect from this level of work out.\u00a0The after-burn is based on the idea that after exercise your metabolism is raised so you continue to burn calories for a while after you\u2019ve stopped.\u00a0Bonus! However, it is generally believed that to elicit this effect you need to train at high intensities. In fact, low intensity exercise decreases<\/strong> metabolism! The study<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver shows this as well as a study<\/a> at the University of Vermont. This is probably largely due to a survival mechanism to conserve calorie expenditure. Worse news still, in terms of weight loss is that the more you calorie-restrict your diet, the lower your resting metabolic rate!<\/p>\n