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FreshSplash\/Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> \nThe \u201cfat-burning zone\u201d recommendations on commercial cardio equipment may be leading people astray, a new study finds.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nMany pieces of commercial cardio equipment recommend that people stay within a certain heart rate range in order to enter a \u201cfat-burning zone\u201d as they exercise. However, new research found that those metrics may not be accurate for every person.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nResearchers out of Mount Sinai\u2019s Icahn School of Medicine looked at data from 26 participants and tracked their heart rate and peak fat-burning rate during exercise. They found that individuals\u2019 optimal heart rate for burning fat often varied widely from what exercise machines\u2019 fat-burning zones recommended for them.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe \u2018one-size-fits-all\u2019 approach for exercise that is often used in the field can result in many individuals exercising at intensities that are inconsistent with their goals,\u201d Hannah Kittrell, RD, lead study author and director of the Physiolab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \nRather than relying on heart rate recommendations from these fat-burning zones, people may want to seek out more individualized guidelines if they\u2019re looking to lose weight.\n<\/p>\n \nKittrell suggests tests that measure a person\u2019s physiological response to exercise may be \u201cuseful [tools] for tailoring \u2018precision\u2019 exercise prescriptions.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nHere\u2019s what experts had to say about why cardio machines\u2019 fat-burning zones may be inaccurate, and ways that people can optimize their own individual fat loss.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nKittrell and the other researchers wanted to examine how each of the study participants\u2019 optimal heart rate for fat loss compared with what was suggested by cardio machines\u2019 fat-burning zones.\n<\/p>\n \nIn order to make this comparison, subjects were given a clinical exercise test to measure their Fatmax\u2014this is short for \u201cmaximum fat oxidation rate,\u201d explained Haley Perlus, PhD, fitness coach and sport and exercise psychologist.\n<\/p>\n \nThe term refers to \u201cthe intensity at which your body burns the highest amount of fat calories per minute,\u201d she told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \nThis number represents a single exercise intensity, Kittrell said, in contrast to traditional fat-burning zones, which recommend a range of some percentage of a person\u2019s max heart rate.\n<\/p>\n \nMore specifically, the fat-burning zone is meant to elevate a person’s heart rate up to 60% or 70% of its maximum, Tracie Massey, a certified personal trainer and manager of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cTypically, about 65% of the calories you burn in this zone are from fat,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n \nA person\u2019s maximum effort in this fat-burning zone would be their Fatmax number. However, the study found that this isn\u2019t always the case.\n<\/p>\n \nFat-burning zones recommended by exercise machines are often based on age, heart rate, and sex. But even after taking these factors into consideration, they don\u2019t always do a good job of predicting a person\u2019s Fatmax.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nKittrell offered an example in a press release: Two participants were told that their fat-burning zone would be between 55% to 75% of their max heart rate. However, after doing the clinical exercise test, the researchers found that one participant\u2019s actual Fatmax was 50% max heart rate, while the other\u2019s was 80%.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIf both strictly followed the fat-burning zone recommendations on exercise equipment, one would be working out too intensely, while the other would be working out too leisurely. Neither participant would be burning fat most efficiently.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe study authors found an average difference of 23 beats per minute between a person\u2019s predicted fat-burning zone and their actual Fatmax score.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n How to Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThough frustrating for people who typically rely on the fat-burning zone metrics on their workout equipment, the results of the study aren't actually that shocking, Perlus explained.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cOur bodies are complex and respond differently to exercise, making it reasonable to expect that the optimal heart rate for fat burning can vary among individuals,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nBecause of this, a more individualized process might be more effective if a person wants to know how to most efficiently lose weight through exercise\u2014the study authors offered up clinical exercise tests as one possible alternative.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nClinical exercise tests\u2014which were also conducted during the study itself\u2014evaluate a number of physiological parameters, such as heart and lung capacities, as well as physical ability, said Massey.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s typically conducted in a medical or research setting and provides valuable information about how the body burns fat during different exercise intensities,\u201d she said. Experts can get this information during walk tests, shuttle walk tests, cardiac stress tests, and more.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThese kinds of \u201cdata-driven approaches\u201d can help tailor exercise to the needs and goals of each individual, said Massey.\n<\/p>\n Signs You're Getting Fitter\u2014Even If the Scale Hasn't Budged<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAccording to Perlus, individualized heart rate recommendations for fat loss may certainly be helpful, but this data may not be necessary for every person who\u2019s trying to lose weight.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cPractical lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity, remain the foundation of effective and sustainable fat loss,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n \nEven more so than exercise, nutrition usually plays the biggest role in burning fat, Steven Batash, MD, a gastroenterologist currently affiliated with NYU Medical Center, Lenox Hill Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cPeople who are mostly interested in achieving weight loss goals should start with their diet and incorporate moderate exercise that they enjoy doing to achieve long-term weight loss,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n \nPerlus recommended people strive for a balanced diet with lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Portion control and balanced food choices are also \u201cessential for utilizing stored fat as energy,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n \nWhen it comes to physical activity for fat loss, experts agree that it\u2019s best to focus on a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training to build lean muscle mass. Cardio may be typically thought of as the best exercise to lose weight, but any activity that gets a person\u2019s heart rate into a fat-burning zone will work, Kittrell said.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cCardio burns more calories during your workout, while strength training helps you build muscle so that you\u2019ll burn more calories 24\/7,\u201d Batash said.\n<\/p>\n \nCurrent physical activity guidelines recommend that adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nSpecifically, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be a good addition to people\u2019s workout routines if they\u2019re looking to burn fat, Perlus said. For a more tailored fat loss plan, Massey suggested personal trainers may be helpful.\n<\/p>\n \nUltimately, burning fat looks different for every person. And since the most effective weight loss plans are often ones that are balanced, avoid focusing on just one rule, Massey recommended.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIn addition to exercising and eating a nutritious diet, she said to prioritize good sleeping habits, stay hydrated, and seek out services from a qualified medical fitness specialist or personal trainer for clinical exercise testing to find your fat-burning sweet spot.\n<\/p>\n How To Lose Fat With Strength Training<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New research shows \u201cfat-burning zone\u201d recommendations on commercial cardio equipment may not provide accurate information. For information on how to best burn fat, people should rely on clinical exercise tests or other, more individualized heart rate data. Experts note that exercise is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to fat loss\u2014diet, hydration, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1279,410],"tags":[1280,116],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Using Metrics to Understand Fat-Burning Execution <\/span> <\/h2>\n
A Better Way to Measure Optimal Fat-Burning <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Fat Loss Beyond the Numbers <\/span> <\/h2>\n