ABOUT HALF-TRUTHS, MYTHS AND FAIRY TALES
There is hardly any area of fitness where there are as many half-truths and misinformation as there is in endurance training. For years, incorrect recommendations and methods have been circulated by fitness trainers to members and by members to friends. Fairy tales and myths were once created without being critically questioned, were imitated and, to make matters worse, recommended to others, which only increased the confusion.
At this point, we would like to clear up these half-truths that have been around for decades, especially since they are not only wrong, but also counterproductive. At the end of this article, every reader should have the necessary knowledge to supplement their next diet with an effective endurance program in order to achieve the desired goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.
MYTH NO. 1: "THE FAT BURNING PULSE"
We have all heard of the ubiquitous "fat burning pulse". Especially those who have tried to lose weight with it and can still remember that the hoped-for goal unfortunately took far too long to arrive and ultimately remained unfulfilled.
If you ask the "average trainer" for advice on fat loss, you almost always get the same answer: "...get on your bike (or another cardio machine) and start cycling! STOP! One more thing, it's really important: always pay attention to your fat burning pulse, because only then will you burn fat!"
What was good in the past will always remain good and cannot be bad today and never change a winning team are outdated and obsolete ways of thinking about such advice - as if it had a right to be valid forever, if it ever was valid at all and as if the team really always wins...?! But more on that later!
But the well-intentioned tips weren't enough. The last issue of Men's Health included the following recommendation under the topic "Effective fat burning": "If you want to lose weight, you have to train in the fat burning zone. Only if you do endurance training at a low heart rate will you reduce your body fat. If you train at a higher heart rate, you won't lose fat." Now the confusion is complete... the trainer and now Men's Health... they must know, they can't lie...?! To get straight to the point: Yes, they can and they do - but unknowingly!
Let's get to the bottom of the recommendations! So there is a pulse range that burns fat, assuming of course that you don't leave it...?! Conversely, the statement means that all pulse ranges that are outside the so-called "fat burning pulse" are therefore unsuitable for burning body fat. The "fat burning pulse" should always be around 120 beats per minute - that's what we were advised to do. The motivated but misinformed coach often recommends the following: "...only if you can still comfortably hold a conversation during endurance training will you be in the optimal pulse range and burn fat!" According to the motto: "Sweating is prohibited here!" , which gives the impression that sweating has a counterproductive effect on fat burning. This assumption could even be true, because sweating is hardly or not possible with the "fat burning pulse" or at least only reserved for untrained people. But enough of the irony, let's get to the hard facts.
THE HIGHER THE INTENSITY, THE GREATER THE FAT LOSS
How did this myth come about and survive for decades? Whoever put forward this false theory, it is clear that he did not distinguish between the RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE FAT BURNING difference. Relatively speaking, the lower the intensity of physical exertion, the more fat is burned. At the same time, however, the total amount of fat burned is only small. The more intense the exertion, the less fat is used to generate energy and, conversely, more and more glucose from the muscle glycogen stores is used to provide energy. The following applies: ENERGY CONSUMPTION INCREASES WITH INCREASING LOAD!
With a high intensity, the lower relative proportion of fat burning is greater in absolute terms than is the case with so-called "fat burning training". The real advantage of efficient fat loss training, however, is not the higher fat burning during the endurance session, but the increased energy consumption, which remains even after the session and boosts the metabolism. The following two examples should clarify the relationships explained. The values chosen are average values, which are influenced by factors such as age, gender, body weight, diet and training status and can vary from individual to individual. But first we need the maximum pulse range (HFmax), which serves as the basis for calculating fat consumption.
THE MAXIMUM HEART RATE - HFMAX
MAXIMUM PULSE = 220 - AGE
EXAMPLE: 30 YEAR OLD ATHLETE
100% = 190 / MIN
90% = 171 / MIN
80% = 152 / MIN
70% = 133 / MIN
60% = 114 / MIN
50% = 95 / MIN
40% = 76 / MIN
30% = 57 / MIN
EXAMPLE 1 - PULSE OF 120 / MIN:
Melanie is 20 years old and her goal is to lose fat. To achieve this, she does regular 60-minute endurance sessions on the stepper at low intensity. At 120 beats per minute, she sticks to the "fat burning pulse" that her trainer recommended. Since Melanie assumes that her trainer knows exactly what he is talking about and that she herself does not have the necessary knowledge, she sticks to the instructions and hopes to reach her target weight quickly. The pulse of 120 / min corresponds to 60% of the maximum heart rate. With this level of exertion, her body uses around 80% of the energy it needs from burning fat and 20% from burning glucose, i.e. carbohydrates. The calorie consumption is around 8 kcal per minute.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION = 60 MIN X 8 KCAL / MIN = 480 KCAL
FAT CONTENT = 80% OF 480 KCAL = 384 KCAL
FAT CONSUMPTION = 384 KCAL : 9.3 KCAL / G = 41 G FAT
MELANIE BURNED EXACTLY 41 G OF FAT IN ONE HOUR.
EXAMPLE 2 - PULSE OF 150 / MIN:
Sabine is 32 years old and, like Melanie, wants to lose unwanted fat deposits and does her one-hour endurance training on the exercise bike. Sabine recently read an interesting report in SPORTREVUE about maximum fat burning and increased metabolism. She doesn't remember much about it, but she was able to remember one thing: the pulse should be high and average at 150 beats per minute. This corresponds to 80% of the maximum heart rate. At this intensity, Sabine's body gets around 50% of the energy it needs in the form of fatty acids and 50% from carbohydrate burning. Her energy consumption is around 18 kcal per minute.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION = 60 MIN X 18 KCAL / MIN = 1080 KCAL
FAT CONTENT = 50% OF 1080 KCAL = 540 KCAL
FAT CONSUMPTION = 540 KCAL : 9.3 KCAL / G = 58 G FAT
SABINE BURNED EXACTLY 58 G OF FAT IN ONE HOUR.
CONCLUSION:
If you compare the results, Sabine was able to burn 41% more fat than Melanie in the same amount of time. In other words, Sabine reached her goal almost one and a half times faster. If both plan to reach their desired weight in 12 weeks, Sabine can achieve her goal after just 8.5 weeks due to the higher absolute fat loss. Good prospects - especially when you consider that there are only 30 pulse beats between the two methods.
Although Melanie's relative fat burning is greater, Sabine burns a significantly larger absolute amount of fat and that is exactly what effective fat loss is all about: Burn as much fat as possible as quickly and efficiently as possible! Although less and less energy is obtained from fatty acids as the intensity increases, the total energy consumption still increases so much that more fat is consumed in absolute terms.
Based on the facts mentioned, it quickly becomes clear that there is no such thing as the often recommended "fat burning pulse". Rather, the absolute amount of fat burned is crucial, which is ensured by a high pulse of an average of 150 / min.
Since such intensive endurance training not only promotes maximum fat loss, but also uses more carbohydrates, dietary proteins and muscle proteins to generate energy, the risk of losing valuable muscle mass can be greatly increased. In order to prevent such a loss of muscle mass in good time, it is important to ensure that you consume sufficient protein and amino acids, especially during diet phases. 2.5 to 3 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a good guideline to adequately cover the increased protein requirements of the organism and muscles.
If you want to provide additional and targeted muscle protection, you can ANABOLIC BCAA + which can be taken for this purpose approximately 30 minutes before training. However, increased protein intake not only has advantages for muscle protection, but can also increase metabolism by up to 30% due to postprandial thermogenesis. More information about proteins can be found in the article MACRONUTRIENTS: PROTEINS available.
THE BASICS FOR EFFECTIVE FAT LOSS
Fat burning is not the same as fat loss! Optimal fat loss is not only achieved during an intensive endurance session - i.e. the fat burning time - but goes far beyond that.
Sabine benefits not only from the increased fat loss during the endurance session, but also and especially from the fact that the intensive aerobic training in the high pulse range boosts her metabolism and increases her basal metabolic rate.
This remains at an elevated level for several hours after the endurance session (= afterburn effect) , even when watching TV or sleeping. Unfortunately, Melanie is unable to enjoy such an increase in metabolism due to her pulse being too low, which is why regular endurance sessions on the stepper are the only way to burn fat.
Effective and long-term fat loss goes beyond pure fat burning during an endurance session and is potentiated by the increase in metabolism. In short, it is not primarily about fat burning during the session, but rather about THE INCREASE IN METABOLISM AFTERWARDS . Combined with a negative ENERGY BALANCE This creates the optimal basis for effective and strong fat loss.
1. FAT BURNING IS NOT THE SAME AS FAT LOSS!
2. FAT BURNING DURING ENDURANCE WORKOUT IS INCONSEQUENTIAL.
3. INCREASING METABOLISM IS CRUCIAL FOR HIGH FAT LOSS!
4. THE METABOLISM IS OPTIMALLY INCREASED BY A PULSE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 BPM.
5. A PREREQUISITE FOR FAT LOSS IS A NEGATIVE ENERGY BALANCE.
6. IF THE ENERGY BALANCE IS NEGATIVE, ENERGY FROM THE FAT TISSUE IS USED.
7. STRENGTH TRAINING INCREASES METABOLISM AND SUPPORTS FAT LOSS.
Since body fat consists of 80% fat cells and 20% water, around 7000 kcal must be "saved" to lose 1 kilogram of fatty tissue. With an "energy deficit" of around 250 kcal per day, you can lose 1 kilogram of fat in a month. The type of physical activity is irrelevant for increasing energy expenditure. The pulse range is and remains important, which should be an average of 150/min or 80% of the maximum heart rate for maximum benefit.
STRENGTH TRAINING INCREASES METABOLISM AND ENHANCES FAT LOSS
However, it is not only endurance training that is important for reducing body fat, but also strength training, which has become increasingly important in recent years not only for maintaining health but also for reducing fat.
Regular strength training can not only prevent the loss of muscle mass caused by age and thereby maintain the strength and coordination of the skeletal muscles, but also stimulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. In addition, intensive strength training causes an even stronger and more lasting afterburn effect than is possible with intensive endurance training. Further background information on the afterburn effect and its effects on metabolism and fat loss can be found in the STUDY: THE AFTERBURN EFFECT explained in more detail.
The afterburn effect causes an increased energy turnover and thus an increased fat burning after intensive exercise - at rest and over several hours. In addition, the muscle mass built up through strength training increases the basal metabolic rate and thus also contributes to increasing fat burning.
Over 20 years ago, it was scientifically proven that fat mass is burned most effectively through strength training and is significantly superior to endurance training. Dieters and especially women who have always vehemently avoided strength training should take these findings into account and use strength training as a INCREASE FAT BURNING include in your training plan!
MYTH NO. 2: "FAT BURNING ONLY STARTS AFTER 30 MINUTES."
Another entrenched misconception is the widespread misconception that fat burning only begins after 30 minutes of endurance exercise. The fact is, however, that the intensity of the exercise is what determines energy supply and use, not the length of the exercise. Energy supply always takes place side by side and never successively .
The more intense the exercise, the more carbohydrates are burned, while the relative fat burning decreases, although the absolute proportion increases. In the opposite case, i.e. during endurance exercise with low intensity, the relative fat burning is the highest, but the absolute amount is only low. These relationships correspond to the principles already explained above and are intended to show that the energy production processes always take place at the same time and only differ in their relationships.
DE FACTO, FAT IS BURNED AFTER THE FIRST MINUTE OF ENDURANCE TRAINING , as it is used to generate energy. The myth that fat burning only begins after 30 minutes of endurance training is also based - as is so often the case - on half-truths and misinterpretations.
MYTH NO. 3: “NO MEALS AFTER 6 PM!”
This myth not only contradicts the physiological principles, but also ignores important processes that are responsible for and actively influence fat loss. It is not the timing of food intake that plays a role in fat loss, but only its amount, which is reflected in and through the energy balance. If your energy balance is negative up until 6 p.m., you can still enjoy food after 6 p.m. in the evening without worrying about storing fat. However, if your energy balance has already been covered up to this point, eating an additional meal would turn it into a positive balance and increase the risk of storing fat - the calories consumed in excess of your needs.
At most, you should avoid a large meal, especially carbohydrates, shortly before going to bed, regardless of the level of energy balance you have achieved up to that point. Eating immediately before going to bed can make it difficult to fall asleep and can lead to tiredness the next day.
If you eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index before going to bed, the sugar in the carbohydrates triggers an insulin reaction, which has a negative effect on growth hormone production during sleep - especially since insulin and growth hormone are antagonists. For this reason, you should generally avoid eating a meal shortly before going to bed.
MYTH #4: “FAT BURNING ONLY DURING WORKOUT.”
As we have learned, fat burning and fat loss are not identical and should always be viewed differently. While the former is only possible during the training session, the latter goes far beyond this and ensures the loss of fat mass even hours after the workout has ended - through the now well-known "afterburn effect", which has already been explained in detail in previous chapters.
On the other hand, intensive training is not the decisive criterion for reducing body fat and whether or not you get energy from fat during training does not say anything about whether you actually reduce body fat. Body fat is only broken down if the energy balance is negative. Only then does the body get the energy it needs from the body fat tissue, which leads to its breakdown.
"FAT BURNING IS NOT THE SAME AS FAT LOSS - THE LATTER GOES FAR BEYOND FAT BURNING AND IS INFLUENCED OR POTENTIFIED BY THE INCREASE IN METABOLISM THAT IS ACHIEVED." (QUOTE: A. FREY)
When exercising, it is not just the calories that are burned during training that count. Training activates the metabolism, so that even after training, more calories are burned than without physical exertion. This "afterburn effect" also helps with losing weight and - as the name suggests - only occurs after training, which dispels the myth of "fat burning ONLY during the training session" is not only invalidating, but also turns out to be wrong. Regular exercise also increases the body's muscle mass. Since muscles use more energy than the rest of the body's tissue, the body's daily energy consumption (= basal metabolic rate) increases. Exercise therefore helps you lose weight in three ways.