HIIT Versus Steady State Cardio

If you want to run specifically for weight loss though and you’ve mastered simply jogging to the point where you’re able to do long runs twice a week, you might want to start introducing some more advanced protocols.

The Fat Burning Zone – Fact or Myth?

For example, you may have heard of the ‘fat-burning zone. This is the idea that there is an ideal speed at which the body will mobilize fat for energy. Is this true? Absolutely. That fat-burning zone is 70% of your MHR and if you run at this pace, then you’ll find your body automatically resorts to burning fat. Some people are wary to try and run above this number because they worry they’ll enter an anaerobic state meaning that they’re running too fast to burn fat for fuel (aerobic energy is relatively slow and inefficient).

This too is true, so if your aim is simply to burn calories in the short term, then maintaining a run at 70% of your MHR is a good way to go ahead. But if you want to burn more calories in the long term, if you want to boost your running speed, and if you want to start becoming a true athlete, then you may want to consider another option: interval training.

What is Interval Training

With interval training, you are going to alternate between periods of high intensity and periods of lower intensity for recovery. This means you might sprint flat-out for 1 minute and then jog lightly for 2 minutes before going again.
This then forces your body into that anaerobic state where it will only be able to burn glycogen and blood sugar for energy.

That means it is burning carbs, not fat and it won’t lead to as much weight loss. So why is it considered a good thing? Well, for starters it means that you’re depleting your primary fuel resource. This means that when you enter back into the slower speed, your body will be forced to rely solely on fats for energy.

What’s more, is that the low glycogen stores in your muscle and your liver mean that your body will now have to burn fat stores throughout the rest of the day. This creates an ‘afterburn effect’ whereby your body continues to burn more fat long after you’ve finished training. And when you eat any carbs or fat after this routine, they will then be sent to the muscles rather than stored as fat.

Another advantage of interval training is that it trains your mitochondria and your ability to utilize glycogen and clear up glycogen. This all adheres to a law known as ‘SAID’ – Specific Adaptation to Imposed  Demands. If you want to improve your running speed, run faster. If you want to improve your endurance, run longer. If you want to improve both, do both!

Thus interval training is a fantastic addition to your routine once you’ve built up the cardiovascular strength and the running technique to cope with it. Only once you’re comfortably running twice a week, consider adding a few 20 minute HIIT sessions in on the other days. You can also use these as ‘finishers’ at the end of a weight lifting regime. But don’t ditch steady state – it is better for your RHR and overall short-term calorie burn. The combination is what’s truly effective!