The question of which type of exercise is better for health is the subject of much debate: aerobic or anaerobic. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, biking, or running, means you move your body, breathe faster, and increase blood flow. This is an activity level that you can maintain for an extended period of time.
Can you pass the “talking test”?
If you can carry on a conversation comfortably during exercise, without talking as if you’re not exercising at all, but still being able to talk while getting a little out of breath, you’re at an aerobic level.
Anaerobic exercise, such as sprinting or weight lifting, is short, intense activity that makes you work your hardest and can’t be sustained for long.
What is better to lose weight?
Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise have benefits and should be incorporated into your routine. But if your main concern is losing fat, anaerobic exercise is the best way to go.
The science behind aerobics and anaerobics
The difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise comes down to oxygen levels. In aerobic, or “oxygen” exercise, your muscles have enough oxygen to produce the energy needed for performance.
Anaerobic, or “without oxygen,” exercise means that the demand for oxygen is greater than the oxygen supply and you are unable to supply the energy your body demands. This leads to lactate production and eventually cessation of exercise.
Why anaerobic exercise is better for fat loss
Aerobic exercise, or steady state cardio, is done at a steady, low to moderate pace. Using slow-twitch muscle fibers, this type of exercise is ideal for cardiovascular conditioning and improving muscular endurance. While this type of low-intensity cardio is generally considered optimal for fat loss, you should think twice. Although it uses a higher percentage of fat for energy compared to muscle glycogen, the total amount of energy burned at this level is less than during anaerobic exercise over a period of time.
This means that for most people, prolonged periods of aerobic exercise are necessary to achieve significant fat loss. This often results in a plateau. Anaerobic exercise in the form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in which high-intensity intervals are alternated with recovery intervals, has been shown to be beneficial for a number of reasons.
Gain time
First, you can complete an intense workout in a fraction of the time. If time is a constraint for you, a HIIT session is a great option. You will exhaust your muscles and burn more calories than if you did cardio continuously for the same amount of time.
burn more calories
Second, you will burn more calories during this period of time. Ultimately, the harder your workout, the more calories you’ll burn. With HIIT, your caloric expenditure will be higher than if you just walked or biked for the same amount of time.
increase metabolism
Third, you will build muscle and increase your metabolism. HIIT requires your fast-twitch muscle fibers to participate in exercises like sprinting, plyometrics, and weight lifting, which increase muscle size and strength. This means you’ll be activating your muscles to a greater extent, which in turn will speed up your metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat.
The afterburning effect
Fourth, you will feel the afterburn effect. The scientific name for the afterburn effect is excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC is the amount of oxygen needed for the body to return to its resting state. HIIT sessions stimulate a higher EPOC because you consume more oxygen during these sessions, which creates a larger deficit to replenish after training. This means that you will continue to burn calories even after your HIIT session ends.
The disadvantages of HIIT
Although HIIT as an anaerobic exercise is beneficial for fat loss, it does have some drawbacks. The main drawback is that it is not for everyone. You need to be at a basic level of fitness before you can safely and effectively practice HIIT. If you are new to exercise, exercise may be too strenuous for your body, especially your heart.
If you’re able to do HIIT, exercises like plyometrics, sprinting, and weight lifting increase your risk of injury because these explosive movements are fast and require a lot of force.
Finally, HIIT can be painful during the session, due to the high intensity, or afterwards, due to pain.
HIIT training
If you feel fit enough to try your hand at intense anaerobic exercise, try these sample HIIT exercises to burn the most calories.
sprints
Sprint hard for 30 seconds, then recover for 1 minute. Repeat the exercise for 15-20 minutes. Remember that it is always important to warm up properly before starting a HIIT workout.
circuit training
Perform each exercise in the circuit for 30 seconds, with a 10-second rest after each exercise if necessary. Repeat this circuit continuously for 10 minutes:
burping
jump squats
crunch
jumping lunges
Lizards
jumping jacks
to retain
While both aerobic and anaerobic exercises have their place in a complete fitness program, anaerobic exercises like HIIT may be more effective for fat loss. If you’re integrating HIIT and strength training, remember that total weight loss isn’t an accurate indicator of your progress. With this type of exercise, your body will recompose itself, which usually means fat loss and muscle gain. To track your progress, measure your fat loss, as muscle is denser and takes up less space for a given weight. Consult your doctor before doing any high-intensity exercise.
* HealthKey strives to convey health knowledge in a language accessible to all. In NO EVENT can the information provided replace the opinion of a health professional.
tags
endurance HIIT weightloss