
The best type of exercise to burn fat
It used to be a fairly common exercise prescription - perform steady state aerobic exercise at a moderate pace for about 30 to 40 minutes, 3 to 4 days per week. However, a growing body of research has shown that interval training, or high-intensity intermittent exercise results in greater fat loss.
Short, regular bursts of intense effort during exercise helps you achieve more in less time, and may also be better at suppressing your appetite after exercise. Importantly for men, recent research has investigated the impact that interval training has on removing fat specifically from the abdominal area (where men tend to store body fat).
The research
A study conducted at the University of NSW examined the effect of a 12 week interval training program on 38 overweight men. The volunteers performed three 20 minute workouts on an exercise bike each week, alternating between intense 8 second bursts followed by a 12 second active rest (slow pedaling).
In addition to the 20 minute workout, subjects also performed a 5 minute warm-up beforehand, and a 5 minute cool-down afterwards. Interval training helped the men achieved a significant decrease in abdominal fat and trunk fat. Of further significance to men was the 17% reduction in visceral fat, a deeper layer of abdominal fat that surrounds the internal organs and increases the risk of heart disease.
According to Stephen Boutcher, one of the study authors, “intervals are especially good at targeting visceral fat compared to steady state exercise”. The short bursts of effort trigger a significantly higher production of adrenal hormones called catecholamines. “Catecholamines trigger the release of fat from the fat cells so it can be used as fuel by the working muscles” says Stephen. These hormones help the body to burn more fat not just during exercise, but after the workout is finished.
The researchers also commented on the time saving nature of interval training compared to steady state exercise, helping subjects achieve significant results in the least amount of time. Other studies suggest that compared to steady state exercise, interval training may trigger similar results in a quicker time frame (3 months instead of 16), and with less training time required each week (1 hour instead of 5 hours).
Interval training technique tips
Stephen Boutcher is based at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where he has conducted a number of studies on weight loss. Following are his tips on how to maximise weight loss using interval training (or LifeSprints as he likes to call it).
References available on request