Does Running Burn Fat?

You might be shocked to learn this, but what you do physically burns fat just as much while running as it does when sitting down. Burning fat is a natural process your body uses just as much as breathing to produce energy and enable you to do the things your body requires to remain alive such as digesting food and breathing. The question then, does your body burn fat while running more efficiently than it does when simply sitting? The answer is yes. This is because your muscle fiber in your lower extremities contracts more during each stride while running, which then causes your leg and hip muscles to burn calories at a higher rate. In fact, these two groups of muscles actually act as one, pumping the entire area with calories as you move around.

The more efficient your running and walking techniques are, the greater amount of fat your body compels you to burn. In fact, this efficiency means that you can actually lose weight faster from your extended run of exercises, if you employ a few positive changes. These changes include maintaining a good body composition and increasing the length of your runs by several minutes.

When you perform any kind of physical activity, whether it's jogging, running, walking or climbing a mountain, your heart rate and oxygen levels rise. The heart pumps a great deal blood through your body for the purposes of pumping away fat and keeping it from being stored. As this occurs, your metabolism rises. The more your metabolism rises, the more calories you burn. But when you run, especially at long distances, your metabolism actually slows down. This means you burn fewer calories overall during your workout.

You might also find it useful to change your diet before starting your running program. In addition to having an increased calorie intake, you should eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of two large meals. Maintaining a proper body composition will enable you to boost your endurance level and will help with fat loss.

Most runners do not work their guts; therefore, they do not burn much fat. Runners who do include the muscles of their gloves in their exercise routines have reported significant increases in their stamina and have noticed that their thighs, lower backs and buttocks have become stronger as a result of the increased muscle activity. The muscles of the glutes can be targeted with the exercises known as "the squat" and are especially effective if performed with a low stress setting like on a treadmill or with the athlete sitting in a chair.

One factor that affects how much a runner will lose is how his or her body composition has changed over time. If a runner has lost considerable body weight (especially from fat) in his or her youth, this fat may not be able to be removed from the body. Therefore, even though the muscle activity is beneficial for building endurance, it is not likely to produce the gains in race time that many runners have experienced. Therefore, it is not advisable to increase the amount of strength training that a runner does during his or her training sessions.

A runner can also use fat as a source of energy during a run. One way that the body uses stored fat is by breaking down the glycogen in the muscles and liver. As glycogen is broken down, it turns into glucose, which the body uses during future workouts. Glycogen is stored in the liver, where it is turned into glucose to fuel the muscles and liver during the recovery phase after a hard or long run. A runner who wants to increase his or her ability to lose body fat while still building endurance should eat plenty of pasta and high glycemic carbohydrates during runs to replenish the glycogen in the liver.

Running is one of the most effective ways that you can lose unwanted body weight. However, this should only be done on a weekly basis, and you should always keep your calorie intake the same every day. This will ensure that you do not consume more calories than you burn in your workouts. If you follow these tips, you will find that your workouts are not only effective at burning extra calories, but you will also be able to maintain the weight loss that you have achieved.