Fitness professionals often purpose to clients the metabolic enhancing benefits of exercise long after the exercise session is over . A recent study published in the April issue of Exercise and Sports Review states that an exerciser can burn fat up to 24 hours after exercise may not be true.
The authors reviewed several studies and compared fat oxidation rates on exercise and non-exercise days. The mode of exercise was either low intensity cycling or high intensity cycling for less than an hour. The participants burned 400 calories during the exercise session. To the authors surprise, exercise had little effect on 24 hour post exercise fat oxidation. The authors went on to suggest that a more significant factor in fat oxidation is carbohydrate intake.” Ingesting as little as 60 grams of carbohydrate before exercise can reduce fat oxidation during subsequent exercise.”
This study emphasizes the importance of how diet effects our weight loss during exercise and after exercise. For those of us trying to lose those unwanted pounds a carbohydrate rich meal prior to exercise may not be the way to go.