Taking A Break During A Workout Burns More Fat
Taking a rest during your workout burns more fat than exercising non-stop, that’s according to a study in Japan.
The study compared the exercise regimen of seven healthy men with an average age of 25, who performed these three trials:
- a single bout of 60-minute exercise (Single)
- two bouts of 30-minute exercise, separated by a 20-min rest between exercise bouts (Repeated)
- one 60-minute rest period (Control)
Their respiratory gas and heart rates were monitored continuously throughout the trial and blood samples were taken every 15 minutes during exercise and every 30 minutes during the rest period.
Researchers found that those on the repeated trial had a greater amount of fat breakdown (or lipolysis), compared to those on the single continuous trial.
The repeated trial showed a greater increase in free fatty acids and glycerol (which are released when stored fat is burned) during the final 15 minutes of exercise, whereas these concentrations only progressively increased throughout the single trial. In addition, during the repeated trial, levels of epinephrine increased while levels of insulin decreased rapidly as compared to the single trial and this may have contributed to fat breakdown.
The researchers pointed out that the current recommendation by The American College of Sports Medicine to exercise for 45 to 60 minutes may not be the most beneficial, instead splitting up a long exercise session with a rest period may be more effective in burning more fat.
Source: “Exercise, exercise, rest, repeat — How a break can help your workout” Science Blog 2007-07-18; Goto K et al “Enhancement of fat metabolism by repeated bouts of moderate endurance exercise” Journal of Applied Physiology (2007) 102(6):2158-64
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