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
The idea is that your body burns different things for energy based on how hard you are working. They are actually two very different chemical reactions, taking place in two different parts of the cell.
In the aerobic zone, your body is using fats and proteins as the primary fuel source, while in anaerobic zones you are using glucose.
Your heart rate is a decent approximation of which of these two fuel sources you are using at any given time. If you are in Zone 1 thru lower Zone 3 you are going to be mostly aerobic; if you are in higher Zone 3 thru Zone 5 you are going to be mostly anaerobic.
Now, don’t assume that means that aerobic is better for weight loss. While it uses a different fuel source, it also uses _a lot more_ of that fuel, forcing your body to convert stored fats to sugar to provide that energy. There are some studies that show things like HIIT are great for weight loss, and that is anaerobic exercise.
So, the short story is that both have a place in your workout routine. Go hard some days, go easier others.
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