Is there a heart rate for losing weight? There is much debate on the answer to this question. Many people say that a moderate heart rate during exercise produces the greatest weight loss. Many other people say that a higher heart rate during exercise produces the greatest weight loss.
People who take the moderate heart rate for weight loss approach, try to keep their heart beats per minute within a certain zone. This zone is 60% to 70% of maximum heart rate.
Your age determines your zone. I’ll do an example of the formula for a 22 year old.
1. Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - Age. For a 22 year old, the maximum heart rate is 198.
2. 198 x .60 = 119, the low end of the zone.
3. 220 x .70 = 154, the high end of the zone.
According to this approach, the greatest fat burning ability for a 22 year old is between 119 and 154 heart beats per minute.
The logic behind this approach is oxygen utilization. To burn fat, the body needs oxygen. So, if you’re exercising too hard and are gasping for air (can hardly talk), you’re not taking in enough oxygen. Therefore, you’re not burning fat efficiently, you’re burning mostly sugar that is stored in your muscles. By keeping your heart rate between this zone, the percentage of calories burned is mostly fat.
These people also believe that emptying the sugar stored in the muscle would force the body to break down some muscle tissue for that needed energy. Losing muscle is the last thing you want happening when you’re exercising to strengthen and develop them.
This approach seems like common sense, but before you take final judgement let’s take a look at the other approach.
People who take the high heart rate for weight loss approach, try to keep their heart rate between 80% - 85% of maximum heart rate.
Let’s go through the formula again:
1. Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - Age. For a 22 year old, the maximum heart rate is 198.
2. 198 x .80 = 158, the low end of the zone.
3. 198 x .85 = 168, the high end of the zone.
According to this approach, the greatest fat burning ability for a 22 year old is between 158 and 168 heart beats per minute.
So what is the logic behind this if it burns mostly sugar? Well, people who take this approach try to burn overall calories, which to them is the most important thing. They even argue that although, the percentage of fat calories burned is lower, the amount of fat calories burned is still higher than it would be at a lower heart rate.
Lastly, these people believe that if you don’t burn the sugar stored in your muscles, your body will store the extra sugars from your next meal as fat.
So What Is The Better Heart Rate For Weight Loss?
First of all, I believe that we should exercise to keep our bodies strong and healthy throughout our entire lives. Looking good is the side benefit.
But to answer the question more directly, we should do interval training. When you interval train, you basically switch between low and high intensity throughout your workout.
For example, if we’re doing a jog/run cardio workout, then we would start off with 2-3 minutes of low intensity jogging, then switch it up to a 1 minute high intensity running. We would keep alternating for the duration of the workout.
This approach allows you to burn sugar and fat. It won’t completely deplete your stored sugar levels, saving your muscles. It also allows your body to restore the sugar from your next meal into your muscles instead as fat. Lastly, it allows you to burn fat calories as well.
With interval training you get the best of both worlds. You have a variable heart rate for weight loss, burning both sugar and fat.
Ark Agpalza has dedicated more than 10 years to the cause of healthy living, and is the author of the online publication Free Health and Fitness Tips.
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