Burning Fat in the Aerobic Zone

Aerobic training is the only form of exercise where you use two sources of energy: carbs (blood glucose) and fat.

The Surgeon General advises us that, to be healthy, we need to exercise at least three to four times a week, in an aerobic zone, for 20-30 minutes. That is a standard to keep your heart healthy, not to lose body fat by burning calories.

Here’s what you need to understand. For the first 20 minutes you are exercising in your aerobic zone, you are burning about 80% carbohydrates and 20% fat.

For the next 20 minutes, you are burning about 50% carbs and 50% fat. You’re getting better. Now you’re gonna start to lose some of that weight as the fat is being burned!

So what happens if you start getting into the above 40 minute range?

A reversal. You are now burning about 20% carbs and about 80% fat.

YES!

In other words, when you work your way up to 45 – 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, you’ve been doing some serious fat burnin’!

So how long you exercise aerobically will be determined by your goals.