EPOC, or excess post oxygen consumption, is the idea of
burning calories and fat even after your workout is over. This
"afterburn" affect is a huge reason why exercise can speed up weight
loss beyond calculating the energy expenditure that occurs during the workout.
Research has shown that training with weights and using interval training or
anything that pushes the intensity above traditional steady-state
cardiovascular exercise (think walking slowly on a treadmill), can increase the
total number of calories that you burn over up to 38 hours following your
workout. While most studies have focused on single session workouts and not on
the cumulative effect of EPOC, the fact that single workout studies show an
average 10% increase in metabolism for 24 hours post-workout should not be
taken lightly. If the question begs, how many calories do you burn with EPOC?
The answer is a lot!
The physiological mechanisms responsible for the increase in
metabolism from higher intensity training occur because the body is disrupted.
Oxygen stores must be replenished to various parts of the body, depleted
phosphagen levels must be restored to the muscles, and the build up of lactic
acid (responsible for the burning sensation in the muscles during exercise)
must be removed. In addition, the increased breathing rate, higher blood
circulation, and increased body temperature far exceed that induced by steady-state
exercises which all raise the body's metabolism as well. (Borsheim and Bahr,
2003).
Weight training causes EPOC in a unique way because training with
resistance causes slight damage to the muscle fibers which places a high demand
on the body's metabolic processes in order to repair. In addition to that,
adding muscle to the body's frame raises metabolism, even if you are just
sitting around. A pound of muscle burns between five to ten extra calories
daily, so five extra pounds of brawn would thus consume twenty-five to fifty
calories per day. That seems like small change, but over months and years it
will become very significant especially because you will not just be wearing
the muscle, but you will be using it.
While the physiological responses to training with increased
intensity are limited, the means of achieving a higher EPOC are not.
Progressive strength training, cardiovascular interval training and creative
circuit training are just some of the many training methods that should be used
in a good exercise program to elicit the afterburn effect. When utilized
properly in a total program specific to your individual level you can take your
weight loss efforts, fitness goals and well-being to new heights.By Mat Herold.Ezinearticales.com.