What is afterburn? Why does it concern me? YOU should be aware about this term as it can potentially help you shape your fitness goals and plans. Afterburn is scientifically known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). It is your body trying to restore itself back to the pre-workout state (resting metabolism) after an intensive workout. Your body uses oxygen to produce fuel need for your muscles during exercise. HIIT workouts typically utilise this more than steady exercise.
As the afterburn effect is in place, your body would use up calories and oxygen. This act of "burning" allows our body to use up some of the excess calories which is why it is so popular among athletes.
Short intensive workouts are what you need to maximise the afterburn effect. It is not about how long you exercise for, its more about how intense it is. An afterburn of 80-100 calories per workout could add up to 3 to 6 pounds of fat loss per year.
Also, one thing we have to take note of is that the fitter you are, the more efficient your body becomes at getting you back to your resting metabolism, and the less of an EPOC influence you may feel. That being said, athletes might not reap the same afterburn that average individuals do.
How can we maximise the afterburn effect?
When we work at about 75% of V02 max. V02 max represents the amount of oxygen we use during an intense exercise. The higher the level of V02 max we work, the greater the amount of oxygen would be used up, and this would prolong our "recovery time" back to the pre-workout state.
Short bursts of exercises. Two 2-minute intensive workouts allows for a greater afterburn effect than a 4 minutes low intensity continuous workout.
Beginner. Newbies tend to generate more afterburn because the everything is new to the body. As you become more experienced, your body becomes more efficient and, thus, burns fewer calories overall.
What are the things we can do to get the afterburn effect?
HIIT workouts are the most efficient way that we can maximise this afterburn effect.
Here are some suggestions:
Here are some HIIT suggestions we recommend:
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