The best exercise for Fat burning is……
The best exercise for burning fat ? It’s my favourite the Plate Push……..Before we explain why it is worth considering Well you may or may not be surprised to hear that an exercise which exclusively ‘burns fat’ does not exist. Fat oxidation during exercise is a complex metabolic process which is the product of a number of different factors. Most notably the intensity of the exercise, however even in this instance the relative contribution of fat as a fuel source varies less than you think. Energy metabolism in exercise comprises of intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG), plasma fat free acids (FFA), plasma glucose and muscle glycogen. during exercise the relative contribute changes according the intensity. Unfortunately there is no instance of when only one of these sources is utilised, rather there is a complex interplay of physiological and metabolic processes which ultimately result in all being utilised. Only at 100%, or thereabouts of VO2 max does the body solely utilise plasma glucose and muscle glycogen. Around 50-60% VO2 max (light / moderate intensity) is where the greatest contribution occurs from IMTG and FFA. Sadly at this point a mere 3-5kcal of total energy are ‘burned’ per minute. That equates to around 180-300kcal per hour. Rather disappointing right?
Now this brings me to my point. Given that every pound of fat stores are equal to 3500kcal to lose this amount of weight over a period of 1 week through exercise alone you will need to perform anything between 12-20 lots of 1 hour ‘fat burning’ exercise. So exercise for all of its amazing benefits is not a particularly effective strategy for optimising weight loss. A better strategy, well that’s to employ the plate push exercise on a regular basis a long side an effective and consistent exercise regimen. In essence its way easier to create a calorie deficit by pushing that plate away than it is to burn off the excess calories with exercises. Clearly plate push in this context relates to those extra treats or snacks which are often energy dense. As the saying goes you can’t out run a crappy diet.