If you’ve been around athletes and others who are avid fitness buffs, you have probably heard about the fat-burning zone for your heart rate. This idea follows the belief that when your heart rate gets to a certain place, you burn more fat. The question is whether this is fact or fiction.
Partial Truth
There is some truth to the idea of a fat-burning zone. You burn more fat when you’re at rest compared to the number of carbs you’re burning. The faster you work out, the more that percentage leans towards the carbs.
At a faster, more intense workout, you’re burning a higher number of carbs and less fat. In that scenario, it makes sense to get into the fat-burning zone.
What Really Matters
The bottom line is that the harder you work out, the more calories you burn. Burn more calories than you take in and you lose weight. When you take in more calories than what you’re using, the body converts them to fat and stores them for later use. Work out at a higher intensity, and you’re going to burn more of those calories instead of letting them convert to fat.
Most people don’t think about how many calories they need to burn when scheduling a workout. They have a specific amount of time to designate to exercise. They need to burn as many calories as possible in that timeframe. A higher intensity workout is going to get more results.
Don’t get caught up in all the hype about the best way to lose weight or get rid of fat. It all comes down to exercising to burn more calories and eating healthy to fuel your body for those workouts.