The afterburn effect: How does it work?

You know when you are going extra hard during a tough workout, you’re sweating, burning calories, and you just know that you’re melting away fat? Take a moment to be proud of yourself. What for, you ask? Because the hard work you’ve just put in doesn’t end when your workout ends. When we partake in intense exercise, our metabolic rate increases; when you stop exercising, it doesn’t immediately go back to resting but instead stays elevated for a short time, causing an increase in calorie burn. Even after you’ve cooled down, stretched, showered, and refueled post-workout. The extra calories and energy burnt after your workout are known as the afterburn effect.

How does it work?

The afterburn effect, aka excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), also known as oxygen debt, is the amount of oxygen required to get your body back to its resting state. The resting state includes:

• Restoring oxygen levels
• Decreasing lactic acid
• Repairing muscle and restoring ATP levels

Research has found that EPOC is at its highest immediately after your workout but continues for a while once the activity has ended. One study has revealed that elevated levels could even be present for up to 38 hours. In addition, research has shown that the more intensive the exercise, the more energy it’ll take to return your body to a resting state. While duration can increase EPOC, the intensity level of your activity has the most significant impact on EPOC, or the afterburn effect.

Also Read:How stress can affect your body and testosterone levels

 The key to EPOC is taking part in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which are short periods of intense exercise with short recovery periods. HIIT sessions induce a higher EPOC because you consume more oxygen during this type of exercise, therefore creating a more significant deficit to replace.

The five best workouts for the afterburn effect

Cycling

 Cycling combines cardio and endurance with lower body resistance training. To push up the intensity, try this interval routine:

• 0-10 minutes: warm up on a flat road, slowly increasing your pace.
• 10-12 minutes: increase the resistance and stand, ride at 75% effort.
• 12-14 minutes: lower resistance and sit down, ride at 60% effort.
• 14-18 minutes: stay seated, sprint as hard as you can for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, then go again.
• 18-19 minutes: recover on a flat road.
• 20-24 minutes: increase resistance, alternate between standing for 30 seconds and sitting for 30 seconds, ride at 75% effort.
• 25-30 minutes: cool down.

Sprinting

Whether you’re a natural runner or hate it, sprint intervals have been shown to help burn body fat at an increased rate while increasing muscular strength and cardio endurance. A sprint workout is a great way to trigger EPOC. Try this interval routine for a quick and effective workout: #BBD0E0 »