I have determined that when I swim, based on my heart rate, I am burning an enormous amount of calories. The other day, I wore my HR monitor and based on my average HR, time spent swimming, and my weight, I burned 1053 calories. Now, the next day, I ran for 40 minutes and burned 453 calories.
I have noticed that when I just swim over a number of weeks, my LDL cholesterol readings go up and my body fat goes up as well. When I just run and don't burn as many calories (according to my HR monitor) my LDL drops, my HDLs go up, and my body fat decreases. I've noticed this now over the course of 13 years.
Anybody know of any studies out there that might explain this? Why would an activity such as swimming that obviously burns a bunch of calories cause an increase in body fat?
There is really a simple reason why anaerobic training does not burn as much fat as aerobic training. Training at higher intensity levels requires more "fuel" than training at lower intensity levels. Fat is a "slow" source of energy. The body cannot use fat to convert it fast enough to supply the muscles. So the body switches to carbohydrate. For the most intense exercise the body uses glycogen stored in the muscles.
Activities shorter than 30 secs can be satisfied completely from stored glycogen. That's why you can sprint with little or no breathing - oxygen is required to use carbohydrate and fat for energy.
If you want to burn fat through swimming - you should swim more long sets at aerobic pace. Your body will choose the energy source that best meets the requirements. For long duration exercise at a moderate pace fat meets the needs.
Disclaimer - I am not any kind of expert on these topics. But search "energy pathways" and you fill find many good articles on this topic.
Sorry,but the "fat burning zone" as the best way to lose weight myth is not good physiology.Yes in the so called"fat burning zone" you are using primarily fat for fuel and at faster speeds you are primarily using glycogen for fuel,but that is not the whole story.At faster speeds you are still burning some fat,but you are burnung more glycogen.You are also burning more calories and if you do not eat more after a hard workout than after an easy work out you will lose more weight.Your body will draw from the fat to replace energy stores.There is an additional advantage to the harder workout,namely you take longer to recover and that recovery takes energy.Further,sprint type workouts build more muscle mass and muscles burn calories at rest.
There is really a simple reason why anaerobic training does not burn as much fat as aerobic training. Training at higher intensity levels requires more "fuel" than training at lower intensity levels. Fat is a "slow" source of energy. The body cannot use fat to convert it fast enough to supply the muscles. So the body switches to carbohydrate. For the most intense exercise the body uses glycogen stored in the muscles.
Activities shorter than 30 secs can be satisfied completely from stored glycogen. That's why you can sprint with little or no breathing - oxygen is required to use carbohydrate and fat for energy.
If you want to burn fat through swimming - you should swim more long sets at aerobic pace. Your body will choose the energy source that best meets the requirements. For long duration exercise at a moderate pace fat meets the needs.
Disclaimer - I am not any kind of expert on these topics. But search "energy pathways" and you fill find many good articles on this topic.
Sorry,but the "fat burning zone" as the best way to lose weight myth is not good physiology.Yes in the so called"fat burning zone" you are using primarily fat for fuel and at faster speeds you are primarily using glycogen for fuel,but that is not the whole story.At faster speeds you are still burning some fat,but you are burnung more glycogen.You are also burning more calories and if you do not eat more after a hard workout than after an easy work out you will lose more weight.Your body will draw from the fat to replace energy stores.There is an additional advantage to the harder workout,namely you take longer to recover and that recovery takes energy.Further,sprint type workouts build more muscle mass and muscles burn calories at rest.
