Losing weight through cardio: How important is endurance training?

Summary of this blog

The debate around weight loss and fat burning often divides opinions, with two distinct camps: those who spend hours on the stepper to burn calories and those who swear by strength training, even if it leaves them sore. While there's no one-size-fits-all guide to weight loss, a combination of strength and endurance training has proven to be highly effective.

Cardio training offers diverse options, whether indoors on machines or outdoors with activities like Nordic walking, jogging, swimming, or skiing. The calorie-burning efficiency of different cardio exercises depends on factors like body movement and intensity. For instance, running burns more calories per hour than cycling, but the latter can be sustained for longer periods with less strain.

The intensity of cardio matters, with moderate levels often assumed to maximize fat burning. However, higher-intensity training may burn a lower percentage of fat but results in a higher overall calorie burn, improving fitness and cardiovascular health.

From a health perspective, a minimum of three times a week, 30 minutes each, of moderate endurance training is recommended. Combining this with strength training and adding 2 to 4 hours of cardio per week, including both moderate and high-intensity intervals, can lead to significant calorie expenditure.

Both endurance and strength training play roles in fat burning, as regular strength training increases the basal metabolic rate. Yet, the most sustainable results come from a blend of both, allowing for additional calorie burn on non-strength training days and enhancing fat metabolism over time.

Cardio training, especially due to its positive impact on the cardiovascular system, is versatile and suitable for individuals with physical limitations. It can be done anywhere, adding an element of enjoyment, especially when done outdoors.

In conclusion, endurance training has remarkable health benefits and aids in weight loss. When planning cardio alongside strength training, it's crucial to balance intensity to avoid negatively affecting strength training performance. While running is efficient, activities like cycling and swimming offer effective yet gentler alternatives, especially for those with excess weight or lower fitness levels.

An optimal training mix includes easy sessions with a subjective exertion level of 3-4 out of 7 and high-intensity interval training. The choice of interval training activities depends on personal preferences, ranging from Zumba classes to spinning or running. Balancing cardio and strength training not only promotes weight loss but also contributes to overall health and well-being.

End of summary

In the discussion about weight loss and fat burning, there are different perspectives. Typically, two camps can be identified: those who sweat monotonously on the stepper for hours to lose as many calories as possible, and those who rely on strength training and can barely stand upright after the first week with three sessions due to muscle soreness. While there is no general guide to weight loss, as every individual is different and, as the saying goes, there are many paths to Rome, one method for fat burning has proven to be particularly effective: the combination of strength and endurance training.

Make cardio training effective

Whether in bad weather on the treadmill, the indoor bike, or the rowing machine at the gym, or in sunshine on Dad's old mountain bike in the forest, during Nordic walking, jogging, swimming in the lake, or even cross-country skiing: endurance sports are extremely diverse and by no means limited to boring staring at the wall. It's challenging to generally determine which type of endurance training burns the most calories since the body's energy requirements depend on various factors:

Firstly, the type of endurance training plays a role because movements that engage larger muscle groups burn more calories. For example, running generally requires more energy per hour than cycling, as the body weight is not supported on the bike. So, if you want to efficiently use your 45-minute lunch break, you can burn more calories running (~700 kcal/hr) than cycling (~580 kcal/hr).

However, someone who has run for 2 hours can confirm that some movements can be very demanding on the musculoskeletal system, while other sports are much gentler. For instance, cycling can be trained for much longer, several hours at a stretch, without experiencing difficulty moving in the next few days (unlike running for the same duration) – except perhaps for a slightly sore bottom the next day. So, when it comes to burning as many calories as possible on a free Sunday afternoon without compromising training performance the next day, it's better to choose a gentle 2-hour bike ride (~1200 kcal) instead of a >60-minute run (~700 kcal). The third major factor is the content of the training: Cardio is not the same as cardio, as the number of burned calories depends primarily on the intensity, regardless of the type of endurance training.

The body's relatively highest fat-burning rate is achieved at relatively moderate intensity, with a value of about 3 to 4 on the 7-level scale for subjective perceived exertion, also known as the basic endurance range in sports science. The widespread conclusion now is: "To burn as much fat as possible, I have to train for a long time at moderate intensity" – but that is a big misconception.

At higher intensity, the fat-burning rate may be only 30% instead of 70%, but more intense training burns far more calories in absolute terms. Moreover, intensive interval training also improves fitness and has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, making it advantageous for several reasons.

How often and for how long should you do cardio training?

A minimum of 3 times per week, each for 30 minutes of moderate endurance training, should be integrated into the daily routine purely from a health perspective. For those looking to enhance endurance or effectively burn fat alongside strength training, aiming for approximately 2 to 4 hours of cardio training per week is advisable. This could involve a combination of moderate foundational sessions focused on fat burning and shorter, intense interval sessions (HIT). For instance, if someone is already fit and engages in strength training 3 times a week, they could improve their endurance and health on the remaining 3 free days through additional training, consisting of 2 sessions of 45 minutes HIT and 1 session of 90 minutes of relaxed activity, burning an estimated extra 2500-3000 calories per week.

Endurance training, strength training or both?

The question of whether endurance training, strength training, or both contributes to fat burning is relevant. This is because the musculature developed through regular strength training increases the basal metabolic rate in the long term, leading to higher energy consumption in everyday activities. Of course, fat can also be burned exclusively through endurance training by simply burning more calories through activity than the body takes in through food.

However, the best and most sustainable results come from a combination of strength and endurance training. Endurance training can burn additional calories on days without strength training without causing excessive fatigue. Additionally, regular endurance training leads to an improvement in fat metabolism. Over time, the body becomes capable of handling progressively higher loads purely through fat metabolism, as it learns to conserve the limited energy stores (glycogen) in the muscles.

The benefits of cardio training over strength training

Both cardio training and strength training have fundamental positive effects on the body. Cardio training particularly benefits the cardiovascular system and is suitable for individuals with potential physical limitations due to its versatility, with activities like cycling being joint-friendly.

Furthermore, endurance training can be practically performed anywhere and anytime, whether during a week of hiking in the mountains, on business trips with a swim in the hotel pool, or a jog before work. Many activities can be enjoyed with friends or training partners, adding to the enjoyment. A round of cardio training in nature on a sunny day is refreshing and motivating, providing a welcome change from the repetitive atmosphere of the gym.

Conclusion

In summary, endurance training has positive effects on health and acts as a natural booster for weight loss. When planning cardio training in addition to strength training, attention should be paid to ensuring that cardio sessions do not excessively strain the body, avoiding a negative impact on strength training performance through extended recovery periods. While running is efficient as cardio training, burning many calories per hour, it requires good basic fitness and is time-limited due to its impact on tendons, ligaments, and joints. For those with excess weight and low fitness levels, a gradual and gentle increase in load is highly recommended. Alternatively, a milder but equally effective endurance training, such as cycling and swimming, can be pursued.

Regarding training content, a mix of easy sessions with a subjective perceived exertion of level 3-4 out of 7 and high-intensity interval training is recommended. Whether interval training takes the form of Zumba or Body-Shaping classes, on a spinning bike, or through running or swimming can be determined based on personal preferences.