2010 Studies & Research Blog

Performing physical training on a regular basis is one of the best ways to go about losing body fat and improving your overall health including the metabolic rate that is seen in the body.  There has been a number of research studies conducted that demonstrate that those who are performing sprint interval sessions show greater metabolic boosts compared with those who are doing straight cardio workouts, often making this the choice of workout for many.

Before jumping strictly on the interval bandwagon however, you may want to consider a few of the benefits you’ll see from aerobic training as well.

Recently researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch assessed what impact lower intensity cardio training had on the fatty acid utilization of trained and untrained men.

They recorded whole body lipid kinetics, looking at the rates of glycerol and free fatty acid appearance in the plasma as well as lipid oxidation through indirect calorimetery before, during, and after exercise was completed.

The results of the study indicated that the lipolytic response to 4 hours of exercise was similar in both trained and untrained men, however the mean triglyceride oxidation was greater during exercise in the trained subjects compared to the untrained group.

It was also seen that during recovery, glycerol and FFA Ra values were decreased more rapidly in trained men, showing that those who were already endurance trained show a greater reliance on fat as fuel during low-intensity exercise and also, their lipid kinetics return to baseline more rapidly in trained men than in untrained subjects.

From this research then we can conclude that endurance training does help the body get better at utilizing fatty acids as fuel and you will see enhanced glycogen sparing during lower intensity exercise, which can potentially come in helpful for those who are involved in both endurance and strength and power activity.

Reference:
Coyle, EF, Klein, S. & Wolfe, RR. (1994). Fat metabolism during low-intensity exercise in endurance-trained and untrained men.  Am J Physiology. Dec;267(6 Pt 1): E934-40.