Low Intensity Vs High Intensity Exercise - What Is Best?

Many new people to exercise may ask themselves, as well as others, "What type of Cardio should I do?", "Does it matter how hard I train?" "What type of cardio should I do to lose weight?"- Do these make a difference to how quickly I lose weight?

This does not have a simple, clear-cut answer. There are many variables associated with this. I will break these elements down and explain, without over-complicating.

Firstly, I need to explain the Anaerobic Threshold (AT). This is a certain level where a person begins to train anaerobically, ie without oxygen. It is also when the body makes Lactic Acid faster than it can be metabolised. Simply put, it's that point of training when the exerciser starts breathing really heavily and/or the muscles start to really burn. Exerciser's cannot train indefinitely above their AT - a) they are not metabolizing enough oxygen, and b) the lactic acid will eventually be too great. Everyone's AT is different, and it directly reflects the exerciser's fitness levels. Now that you understand what the AT is, I will explain how this fits in to the topic.

The human body burns a higher percentage of body fat as energy when training at lower intensity levels, that is, below the AT. This element alone suggests to people that they would be better off walking or taking it easy when it comes to exercise if they wish to reduce body fat. For example, working at an intensity of 5-6 out of 10, or below 60% of maximum Heart Rate. For a more accurate answer, we need to look further into it.

When the body works harder, it needs energy more readily. It is much easier for the body to use carbohydrate as an energy source, so it prioritizes to use carbohydrate (glucose/glycogen) when training above the AT. This sugar is released from the liver and is found in the blood and muscle tissue. Simply put, when the exerciser works really hard, breathing heavily etc, sugar is the priority energy source. If the body has excess sugar levels, it will eventually convert it to body fat.

However, and this is a BIG however, when an exerciser consistently trains at a high intensity, they get fitter. This means that their AT increases. Therefore, in short time, an exerciser could be training below their AT when they previously were above it. A practical example of this is a running speed on a treadmill. If you put a beginner on a treadmill at 15km/hr, they are likely to only last a minute or two. This is because this intensity of exercise is above their AT. However, consistent training will mean their fitness improves, as will their AT. This will mean that they will be able to run at 15km/hr for long periods of time. If they can sustain this speed for more than a couple of minutes, they are working below their AT, and are therefore burning a higher percentage of body fat.

Training at a higher intensity will also significantly increase the body's metabolic rate. This means that the exerciser will continue to burn into their fat stores, even after they've finished training!

Although training at a high intensity burns a high percentage of carbohydrates and a low percentage of fat, the total energy (calories) required to do the work is much greater than low intensity exercise. Therefore, the percentage of fat that is burnt in total is lower, however total amount of fat that is burnt is higher, because far greater amounts of energy is required as a whole.

In summary, although low impact/low intensity cardiovascular training has its merits, and any exercise is better than no exercise, high intensity training, even at shorter durations is much more effective, and has more health benefits than low intensity training.

For more information, please visit http://www.gymprogramonline.com

Shaun Ahearn
Director
Gym Program Online
http://www.gymprogramonline.com

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