Therefore, in the post-exercise period, interval training results in more calories
burned.
In fact, I just read a new study from Australia that shows interval training is
superior to slow cardio for fat loss.
The researchers, Trapp & Boutcher put WOMEN through a 15 week study where one
group was a control, one group did intervals (20 minutes of alternating sprints
and recovery), and one group did 40 minutes of slow cardio.
The interval group lost 2.5kg of fat in 15 weeks on average (with one subject losing
7.7kg of fat), while the slow cardio group lost only 0.4kg of fat over 15 weeks
on average.
The results speak for themselves.
So don't get hung up on how many calories are burned during a training session with
aerobic training. That is not nearly as important as how many total calories your
body burns over the course of the day - and you will burn more with interval training.
And for those that subscribe to the fat burning zone as being important, again,
you aren't looking at the big picture (the 24-hour calorie burning period). Instead,
those that believe in the importance of the fat-burning zone have a myopic view
of how the body works.
The same message applies to those people that live and die by the cardio on an empty
stomach method. You're "nickel and dime-ing" the fat loss process, when
really it's a much bigger budget to balance.
Look at the big picture. Get your nutrition in order, then focus your workouts on
brief, intense strength and interval training workouts that increase your metabolism
for the next 24 hours.
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training