1 – Intense training increases post-exercise fat burning
Many people think slow, prolonged exercise is the best way to burn fat and get lean. That is understandable because the body uses mainly fat as fuel at rest and at exercise intensities less than 65% of maximum capacity. It is not that simple! Well-controlled Canadian studies showed that people who exercise intensely are leaner and lose fat faster than people who do low-intensity, prolonged exercise. University of Wisconsin researchers helped clear things up when they found that exercise intensely burned more fat after exercise than low intensities. You will control body fat better if you pick up the pace when you run, cycle, walk, or swim. (Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 34: 1757-1765, 2002)