Important Facts About the Fat Burning Zone

While the concept of the fat burning zone has for a very long time been hyped as the optimum state to train in as a way to burn up extra body fat, but what exactly is it all about and could it be really the optimal strategy to exercise so as to achieve reliable weight reduction?

 

There has been all sorts of heated debates through the years among fitness experts about the weight loss concept known as the "Fat Burning Zone" with each side giving varied viewpoints regarding whether it is really the most effective state to workout in as a way to obtain the very best weight loss gains.

 

The fat burning zone as an idea is thought to be a function of the intensity level of a person's workout routines which is normally directly relative to the amount of energy which is being spent when carrying out virtually any physical activity intended for achieving some amount of weight reduction.

 

Nevertheless and in truth putting it in a lot more tersely correct manner, the fat burning zone may be considered to be the exact physical fitness intensity level during which the body uses its stowed body fat to produce energy. Consistent with this, it has been duly recognized through several analysis that the human body goes into its fat burning zone when it is performing exercises at low intensities.

 

When talking about the fat burning zone, one particular major factor that has to be considered is the source of the energy fuel which is being used. Muscles basically have three choices for energy including proteins, carbohydrates, and fats with fats and carbohydrates coming across as the major options.

 

These energy sources can be obtained from either the muscle tissues or the blood. Carbohydrates in the bloodstream occur as glucose whereas they are available as glycogen (a combination of glucose and water) inside the muscles. The fact is that understanding how your body really works and captilizing on this through both exercise and diet can make your body become one of the best fat burner you might ever come to know.

 

Usually, fatty acids are stowed in the body cells as triglycerides and are made available in the blood by the process of lipolysis. The choice on which kind of energy fuel to pull from is usually contingent on several factors with the main one being the training intensity.

 

Exercise is generally classified as being a stressor to the human body that forces it to enter into a "fight or flight" mode - a state the body assumes whenever it detects a threat or is under pressure. Generally, the toughness of the workout determines the best suited supply of energy the muscle tissues will decide to get its energy fuel from in order to adequately satisfy the demand at hand.

 

The several toughness levels which can be experienced during a workout session are usually determined through a rating system referred to as the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). This is a customized measuring system which is based on a person’s current level of fitness and overall understanding of physical exercise.

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the minimum amount of effort and 10 being the most serious, the RPE intensity scale is as follows:

 

a. Low Intensity (1 - 4);

 

b. Moderate Intensity (5 - 7); and

 

c. High Intensity (8 - 10)

 

At low intensity, for instance going for a walk, fat is usually the principal source of energy because of the abundance of oxygen. At this stage, the muscles naturally like to use more of the fat within the blood since the body can easily utilize  slower burning energy (which typically comes from fat) at this intensity level rather than using quicker combusting energy which typically comes from carbohydrates. This is achieved through a process called lipolysis - the burning of body fat stores and release of same into the circulatory system. This is exactly what is generally called the "fat burning zone".

 

On the other hand, recent scientific research have proven that this method does not burn significant quantity of fat to trigger considerable weight loss in any realistic period of time.

 

You get to moderate intensity levels once you begin engaging in more demanding exercise routines, for instance, running moderately at around 6 out of 10 on the RPE scale. In order for the body to satisfy the heightened energy need of performing exercises at moderate intensities, the muscles need more oxygen and energy fuel to burn off. This consequently causes the heart to work quicker in an effort to provide extra oxygen-containing blood to the muscle cells faster.



 

Furthermore, the muscles at this stage produce more heat which must be removed from the body. The blood thus endeavors to take this heat to the surface of the skin as perspiration in an effort to control the body's temperature. This elevated dual burden on the blood makes it difficult for the body to properly continue the lipolysis process.

 

Although lipolysis soon phases out, the rate of fat burning in the muscle tissues is still rising and causes the muscle to turn to its fat stores which are available as triglycerides to be able to meet up with the increased energy requirement. This stage is probably the most ideal fat burning zone and which is suggested for virtually all grownups. 

Nonetheless, the very best weight reduction benefits are usually attained upon hitting the very last three levels of the RPE scale i.e. 8, 9, and 10 which happen to be the high intensity levels. On reaching level 8 out 10, the muscles essentially turn to carbohydrates as a result of an insufficient availability of oxygen to burn its own store of triglycerides. With any more increase in intensity, the muscle tissues will now completely turn to its reserved glycogen (a mix of glucose and water) as its main source of energy.

 

Moving over into stage 9 of 10 or probably farther into stage 10 forces the body to enter into an anaerobic condition (whereby it is working out without oxygen) and soon the muscles start to get worn out. This muscle failure is caused by the increased production of lactic acid that is currently building up at a speed faster than it is getting removed from the muscle tissues.

 

At high-intensity, the body might be said to have essentially ceased using fats and completely switched to burning up of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen instead. Latest research show that there are far more advantages derivable from performing high intensity physical exercises owing to a heightened fat burning noticed following these kinds of workouts.

 

Exercises where an anaerobic state could be arrived at consist of sporting activities such as soccer, basketball, rugby, hockey, and football. An anaerobic state could similarly be reached in the course of workouts like weight lifting and interval training.