The formula for losing weight is to burn more calories than you are taking in.
This formula still holds true today, but with some modifications.
The type of calories that you are eating is becoming an important factor for weight gain or weight loss.
In fact, a good example is 500 calories of a high sugary drink and 500 calories from chicken and vegetables.
One provides good calories (chicken and vegetables) while the other supplies empty calories.
Another way to lose weight is to exercise. It is recommended that to lose weight, you should be exercising at a moderate to vigorous intensity most days of the week.
The fact is, intensity could play a key role in how your body processes nutrients.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, shows how adding high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.) exercise to your existing exercise program could lead to better utilization of fat stores.
Let me explain…
H.I.I.T. Training and Weight Loss
H.I.I.T. refers to high intensity interval training that is performed at near maximal work levels, and for a short period of time. These short workout periods are done many times throughout the course of a workout.
The authors of this study aimed to see how high intensity interval training over the course of two weeks would affect skeletal muscle fuel content, mitochondrial enzyme activity, fatty acid transport proteins, peak oxygen consumption, and whole body utilization of hormones, nutrients, and the cardiovascular response to exercise.
The team of researchers recruited eight moderately active, college-aged women (22 years old), with an average weight of 143 pounds.
The women performed a VO2 peak test, followed by a 60-minute cycling test at 60% of their VO2 peak.
Then, they added in 10 higher-intensity workouts (90% of VO2 peak ) with 4 minutes of work and 2 minutes of rest time.
The researchers noted, due to the training, the women’s VO2 peak increased by 13 percent.
They also showed that after H.I.I.T. training, plasma epinephrine and heart rate were lower during the final 30 minutes of the participants' 60-minute cycling test.
After H.I.I.T. training, they also saw a 36 percent increase in whole body fat oxidation, compared to baseline measurements.
The researchers did note that muscle glycogen and triacylglycerol levels were unaffected by H.I.I.T. training. However, the researchers did see that net glycogen use was decreased during the post-training 60-minute cycling trial.
There was also a 25 percent increase in plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein and H.I.I.T. training was also able to increase mitochondrial-β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and citrate synthase by as much as 20 percent.
Citrate synthase is an important mediator in the Krebs Cycle of the mitochondria, which breaks down free fatty acids and converts it into energy that your body can use.
Mitochondrial-β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is activated in the breakdown of fatty acids.
From their work, the researchers concluded that H.I.I.T. could increase whole body and skeletal muscle capacity for fatty acid oxidation.
This research gives promise for differing the intensity of your workouts. However, it needs to be further verified by other research before it could be integrated into an exercise approach for everyone.
A New Addition To Your Workouts
Exercise and dieting are both ways that can boost your metabolism and lead to weight loss.
However, research shows that some of the benefits from moderate physical activity could be undone by excessive sitting, therefore, increasing your risk factors for weight gain and some chronic diseases.
However, according to this study, including high intensity interval training could shift nutrient metabolism by your body, which may increase fatty acid breakdown.
By including different forms of exercise and eating right, you could increase your metabolism, improve your exercise endurance, and reduce your risk for developing certain chronic diseases.
NEXT: An Even Faster Belly Fat Burning Metabolism? >
References:
Talanian, J. Galloway, S. Heigenhauser, G. Bonen, A. Spriet, L. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increased the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2007. Vol. 102 (4): pp. 1439-1447. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01098.2006.
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