Effective Cardio Tips

optimal heart rate range

 

To find out at which heart rate you burn most of your calories during cardio activities like running or cycling, first you need to know the heart rate zones that are most effective for fat burning and overall  calorie expenditure.

To understand heart rate zones we first need to know what the five main heart rate zones  are and what they are based on. The maximum heart rate (MHR) is estimated by  subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 30 years old your estimated  MHR would be 190 beats per minute (220 – 30 = 190) (there is a complicated calculation but for most of the people this is enough).

 

The zones  are: Zone 1 (Very Light): 50–60% of MHR – Light activity,  primarily for warm-ups and cool-downs.

Zone 2 (Light): 60–70%  of MHR – This is the ‘fat burning’ zone. Moderate exercise intensity, ideal for building  endurance and burning fat.

Zone 3 (Moderate): 70–80% of MHR  – Cardiovascular conditioning zone. It increases stamina and fitness.

Zone 4 (Hard):  80–90% of MHR – High intensity work, improves aerobic capacity and speeds up fat and carbohydrate  burning.

Zone 5 (Maximum): 90–100% of MHR – Intense  exertion, typically used for sprints and short bursts of effort. Maximizing calorie burn can be achieved through higher intensity, but this has to be combined with the ability to sustain it.

fat burning zone (Zone 2)- Why it’s important?  At lower intensities your body uses fat as the primary energy source. Thus, training in Zone  2 (60–70% MHR) for longer periods improves fat oxidation i.e., more fat  is burned in a given period. It is often referred to as the ‘fat burning zone’ because  your body is more likely to use fat for fuel at this level. Optimal calorie burn: While  fat is being burned at a higher rate in Zone 2 the intensity is low, so the total  calorie expenditure may be less per minute. But because you can sustain this zone for longer periods of time  (typically 30–90 minutes), it can be very effective at burning calories.

Cardio zone  (Zone 3)- Why it’s important? This is where you will spend more time in aerobic  training, where your body begins to shift from primarily burning fat to also burning carbohydrates (glycogen).  At this moderate intensity, your heart and lungs work more efficiently, improving cardiovascular fitness while still allowing fat  burning. Optimal calories burn. The overall calorie burn per minute is higher in Zone 3 than  in Zone 2 because the intensity is higher. You will burn more calories in shorter duration efforts in  this zone, making it effective for fat loss when combined with sustained exercise.

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High Intensity Zone  (Zone MHR 4)- Why short bursts important? Exercising at high intensity 80–90% work of such your as  sprinting or cycling at high speed. This  zone predominantly burns carbohydrates for fuel and can result in greater post exercise calorie burn due to the afterburn  effect (EPOC – Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption). and this in turn contributes to the increased daily caloric expenditure.