I’ve been cycling a lot and I always end up in Zone 3 or 4. People say Zone 2 is the best and the “fat burning” Zone.
Does this mean I’ll lose more fat/weight in the same amount of time exercising if my hear rate is lower than it has been!?
In: 8
Zones 1-2 are primarily fueled with fat and some glucose stores. As you go higher in intensity/heart rate (Zone 3-5), you start “maxing out” your aerobic system and the glycolytic system kicks. This is how you compensate for the mismatch between energy supplied and energy needed. However, a side effect of glycolysis is lactate + Hydrogen ion production. So the higher the intensity, the more glycolysis, the faster you reach muscle failure.
Training in zone 1-2 is essential for building up your aerobic system, which in turns determine how hard you can work without requiring the glycolytic system to kick in. A strong aerobic system also helps with removing the lactate/H+ from your muscle. Even the strongest endurance athletes (Tour De France riders, for example) will spend the vast majority (up to 80%) of their training in Z1-2 depending on their training cycle.
Hope that helps!
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