If you’ve been into fitness for quite some time, then there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about ‘cardio’ exercises. Cardio exercises are more demanding on your body’s ability to divide oxygen. Yet, the traditional use of cardio proves to be a less efficient way to lose fat. Consider this; when jogging at a mild pace vs. sprinting on a cycling machine or a treadmill. Fat burn or cardio, which one is more hectic and intense?
It’s a fact that the short sprint induces a better outcome for your body compared to jogging. And you’ll be able to burn more calories by sprinting in a shorter time. Now you’re wondering how’s this going to work. Proceed to go further into the article.
It isn’t like you aren’t going to lose any fat through cardio exercise. But still, it’s confusing. Fat burn or cardio? Which one should you go for? It’s more efficient to pursue its intensity because fat burn exercises need you to exercise for a long time.
While, for cardio, you can include short bursts of high-intensity training. It results in better use of muscles and an increase in hormone levels. Thus, the weight loss process becomes far more effective than pursuing traditional cardio.
Know About Your Fat Burn Sweet Spot
Not familiar with the term, right? It’s also known as the fat loss zone when you use your body for hard labor, especially exercise. At the same time, your heart rate goes up to 58 percent, and this phase starts. The sweet spot allows you to burn fat compared to your regular state. Furthermore, you can achieve this through both fat burning vs cardio. Both types will get you there. But the matter is, which one to go for, right?
Our organs need glycogen to function. When the body uses this glycogen store in a shorter period, it gets stimulation for better and more efficient storage of glycogen. When we work our organs more and harder, we burn more calories.
Our body gets its fuel from two sources. One is glycogen, and another is fat. Either of these two contributes to providing glucose, which acts as fuel for our cells.
Why is High-Intensity Cardio better?
Cardio through high-intensity exercises is the way to go. It isn’t a piece of advice but a proven one through various studies. American council study shows an efficient exercise program consists of exercises that elevate the heart rate to at least 70 percent to 80 percent. These exercises can improve your fitness in the long run.
People who have less time for themselves can get benefited from these exercises. While it’s been a debate about fat burn vs. cardio, it’s a fact that this exercise can help you to lose weight. And it’s more suitable for athletes.
It has to be intense if you choose cardio exercises for your fat loss purpose.
Why Choosing High-Intensity Cardio
Fat burning requires you to exercise at a moderate intensity for longer. It’s a good approach but not the most efficient way to burn calories. Because through the high-intensity cardio, you can lose the same amount of calories. But with half of the time. It allows you to go about the fat loss process much more efficiently.
The fat-burning sweet spot stays between 55 percent to 70 percent of your largest heart rate. The cardio sweet spot starts from 75 percent to 90 percent of your largest heart rate. The equation is as simple as it is. The more intense the workout is, the more calories you burn.
The Mechanism: How Exactly High-Intensity Cardio is This Effective!
During high-intensity exercises, your body mechanism works twice as fast. Your body mechanism includes the respiratory, muscular, and cardiovascular systems. Your heart and lungs work together. This process works faster to give you that required boost of energy. The heart pumps twice or three times faster than its usual rate. As this remains the situation, you burn more calories.
While doing any type of physical activity that demands you to do it faster results in burning more calories, this isn’t something you should be missing. Yes, it can be tiring for you. But you’ll be getting the best results. At the same time, requiring less time than you usually have to do with regular fat-burning routines.
When considering fat burning vs cardio, emphasis should be on high-intensity cardio exercise.
Intense cardio requires glycogen storage to fuel your cell, which is how you function. And high-intensity workouts make sure that you burn calories soon after. Because after you finish your glycogen storage, your body gets its fuel from your fat storage. And this is the goal of your fitness routine.
From this, the more intense the exercise is, the more fat you burn. It gives a quite significant edge over moderate-intensity exercises.
The Verdict: Which One Is Best For You, Fat burn, or cardio?
It depends on your fitness level and time duration when it comes to fat burn and cardio. For example, if you are not into fitness for a longer time, it might be better for you to start with fat-burning mode. But if you’re pursuing fitness for a longer period. Then you can go for cardio with high-intensity exercises. Another important thing to consider is that this also depends on the time you have for yourself. For example, athletes get less time to prepare for a goal. Alongside, they have higher than average fitness. So, this is more suitable for them.
But if you’re new to fitness. And you’d like to go moderate about burning calories. Then you can choose a fat-burning procedure for your weight loss and fitness goals.
Let’s consider this, are you willing to waste time on something that you can avail yourself of in a shorter time?
Face it; you’ll lose fewer calories. At the same time, you’ll have to spend more time on moderate-intensity exercise. For example, if you are running 5 KMs in 30 mins. And you’re shedding around 180 calories. The same thing you can do in a 100 m sprint format. 2 KMs of high-intensity workout will burn 500 or more calories. So, which one would you go for? be sure to look at gut health hacks that will help you live a happier lif.
Conclusion
No matter what, you have a personal fitness goal or weight loss program. Pursuing high-intensity cardio exercises is going to give you a more efficient result. At the same time, you’ll be investing less time to avail a greater output.
Of course, it’s a fact that it’ll need intensity which will put a strain on your body but not for long. But the result is worth the effort. Instead, you consider running hours on the treadmill. And not getting the desired result, that’s the approach I warn you about. Go for the procedures that need lesser time and give better results.
