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This article delves into the theory behind cardio training and fat burning, and provides practical examples for different types of athletes. Additionally, we will explore the practical health aspects of cardio training for beginners.
Why cardio
Cardio and fat burning
BMR and activity factors
Cardio for health
Starting cardio for specific sport
Cardio for endurance sports
Conclusion
Why cardio training?
Firstly, you must ask yourself
why you want to start cardio. Different goals may require different methods.
- Is fat burning your goal?
- Do you want to work on your health?
- Do you need more endurance for a sport you already practice?
- Would you like to be able to run, cycle, or swim long distances?
Cardio training and fat burning
Cardio training as a
means of burning body fat is overrated. Of all the reasons mentioned above to start cardio, fat burning should be the last. However, we mention it first because for most recreational athletes, this is the reason for doing cardio.
It should be noted immediately that various forms of cardio training can be used for fat burning. However, both are
less effective in fat burning than your diet. Think of it as mopping the floor with the tap open. You can mop harder, but you can also close the tap. Especially because you have a relatively small mop.
Fat burning occurs when there is a lack of fuel, an
energy deficit. This is the result of the amount of energy you consume in food, minus the amount you expend. Everyone understands that. However, many people overestimate the impact of activity on that expenditure.
BMR and activity factors
The largest part of your energy is consumed for maintaining your body, including the
energy-hungry brain. As I described for the ‘cardio’ category, 20% more exercise is by no means equivalent to 20% less food. Conversely, you lose weight much faster by eating 20% less than by exercising 20% more.
One way to illustrate this is through commonly used activity factors. To calculate someone’s energy needs, we first estimate the body’s resting energy expenditure. Let’s call it ‘maintenance costs’, or
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This can be done with various formulas based on data such as weight, height, age, gender, and body fat percentage. To then calculate the effect of exercise, we use activity factors:
- Little or no exercise, office work — x 1.2
- Light exercise/sports 1-3 days a week — x 1.375
- Moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days a week — x 1.55
- Heavy exercise/sports 6-7 days a week — x 1.725
- Very heavy exercise/sports plus physical work or training twice a day, marathon, soccer camp, competition, etc. — x 1.9
So, suppose someone’s BMR is 2000 kcal. This means that 2000 kcal are needed daily to provide the body with sufficient energy at rest. However, most people get out of bed and start moving throughout the day.
More exercise or less eating?
Take Henk, for example, someone for whom this movement means little more than a few walks to the coffee machine. Ok, add to that a mandatory walk around the block to walk the dog or go to the store. Henk certainly does not make a conscious effort to get moving, and his work does not invite him to do so either. Henk’s daily expenditure, and therefore his needs, will then amount to around 2400 kcal. After all, 2000 x 1.2 = 2400.
Now Henk decides to go
running twice a week. He aims for two times a week, half an hour each time. Based on the activity factors, he will thus increase his (average daily) expenditure to 2750 kcal. Those 350 kcal could, for example, translate into two boiled eggs and an apple or a (small) croquette sandwich. Judge for yourself what you find more difficult; Leaving that
food or going running twice a week.
However, the activity factors are rough estimates based on large populations of different people and different activities. Nevertheless, it can provide a good indication of the
added value of more exercise
for those who are not too physically active.
But for those who already exercise a lot, cardio as a means of
fat burning is in many cases not effective. You can spend your time much better with a fork and knife than with an extra lap around the block. Especially when you already walk around that block often enough, to begin with. Take Henk, for example. He already moves quite a bit. That extra lap around the block therefore provides him with much less profit than for someone who hardly moves at all. For Henk, it will be more difficult to get
leaner by running an extra lap than by simply leaving the extra food.
Cardio for health
As I said at the beginning, there are various reasons to do cardio. Cardio for your
health is of course a very good idea. For most people, this is not a choice between more cardio and less food. For most people,
more cardio means less sitting.
Sitting is the new smoking. Especially for people with a desk job. We are simply not made to sit still all day. That is why more and more workplaces offer standing desks. This may seem like a trend, but the idea is much older. Standing desks were the norm. For our grandparents. Fortunately, we are now slowly starting to realize that sitting all day is not healthy.
The main advantage of cardio is that you
move. The type of movement is not very relevant. For your body, it is primarily about moving. Preferably continuously. So cardio is nothing more than
long-term exercise. The scientific term is endurance training.
In the introduction to cardio, we mainly talked about
running. But running is by no means the only form of cardio. Cycling, rowing, swimming, cross-country skiing, walking, hiking, climbing stairs, and so on. Everything is fine. You just have to move. Continuously. The heart and lungs ensure that oxygen is supplied to the muscles and that waste is removed. The muscles ensure that the fuel (oxygen) is consumed.
Cardio for a specific sport
The principle of cardio is to train your heart and lungs and to improve the delivery of oxygen to your muscles. For some sports, this is not a goal but a means. For example, in soccer, rugby, hockey, and basketball, you use the same energy systems as in running and cycling. In these sports, you run, sprint, jog, and walk. Often for 60 to 90 minutes. Hence the emphasis on
endurance training in team sports.
In other sports, cardio is the goal in itself. Think of running, cycling, swimming, and rowing. Here the emphasis is on
improving your aerobic capacity, that is, your ability to supply oxygen to your muscles.
Cardio for endurance sports
There are also sports where the principle of cardio is really put to the test. Think of sports where you are on the move for a long time, at a fairly constant pace. Sports like cycling, running, swimming, and skating. In these sports, the emphasis is on
training long distances. With
long-term exercise. The more hours you can make, the better you get.
Cardio for endurance sports is a different story than for, say, team sports. In team sports, the emphasis is on recovery. You have to recover quickly between efforts. For example, from a sprint to a jog or from a jog to standing still. Hence, the high-intensity interval training in team sports.
In endurance sports, on the other hand, the emphasis is more on being able to perform optimally for a long time. For a marathon, an Ironman, or a Tour de France, for example. The more efficiently your body functions, the longer you can keep going. And the better you will perform.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to start cardio.
Fat burning is often mentioned as a reason. However, cardio for fat burning is less effective than many people think. The main reason for this is that the amount of energy expended during cardio is relatively small compared to the total daily energy expenditure. Much better results can often be achieved by paying attention to your
diet.
However, cardio is certainly not without benefit. Cardio has numerous
health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, increased endurance, and better overall well-being. Additionally, for athletes, cardio can be crucial for improving performance in endurance sports or as a means of recovery in team sports.
So whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds, improve your overall fitness, or enhance your performance in your chosen sport, incorporating cardio into your routine can be a valuable addition.
