Misconception: If you exercise at a lower intensity you will burn more fat.
If you exercise at a lower intensity you will burn a GREATER PERCENTAGE of fat. In the graph, total energy expenditure is shown for low and high intensity exercise. The amount of this energy coming from the oxidisation of fat is shown in green.
So even though there is a GREATER PERCENTAGE of fat burnt at a lower intensity, the sheer volume of energy expenditure at higher intensity means that 50% of ‘a lot’ is more than 85% of ‘not much’.
Misconception: You must burn fat to lose fat.
It doesn’t matter where the energy comes from, if you burn it, it can’t be stored. You see, energy entering the body through fat, protein, carbohydrates or alcohol can do one of two things. It can be stored, or it can be burnt. And that’s it. Stored or burnt. If you don’t burn the incoming energy by tipping the scales in your favour, it will be stored. Regardless of which of the four forms the energy enters the body it only has these two options, and if not burnt, the only way to store energy is as fat. Protein, carbohydrates, alcohol, and of course fat itself, are all stored as fat.
So we can completely disregard the distinction between where the energy comes from. If you need to lose weight for your health, work hard at high intensity. Burn energy – big chunks of it. Intensity is key. That being said – weight loss is much more dependant on nutrition than exercise, so that’s where you should start.
