Is Cardiovascular Exercise Really All It’s Cracked Up To Be Or Is It Hyped Up?

The question remains: is cardiovascular exercise necessary for maximum fat loss?

It seems as though there is a constant battle between fitness gurus as to whether or not one needs to do cardiovascular work in order to lose weight. And if they can’t reach a consensus, how are you supposed to decide if it’s worthwhile?

Well, if you look at the research there is no doubt that cardiovascular work can increase fat loss. Here are five ways that cardiovascular work can help you lose more fat:

1. Cardiovascular hypertrophy or growth. In other words, your heart increases in size. This increased size allows your body to get blood, oxygen and energy to your working muscles. In turn, this allows you to exercise longer and harder.

2. More blood volume. You will notice this just after a couple weeks of cardiovascular work. And more blood translates into more nutrients and faster fat burning.

3. Higher capillary density. Capillaries are like little tubes that actually deliver blood right into the muscle. So not only do you get more blood, but you also get better transport and delivery.

4. More mitochondria in your cells. These are small structures in your cells where energy is produced from ATP. If you have more mitochondria, you have more energy and can produce more physical work. In turn, more physical work translates into more calories burned.

5. A lot more enzymes. The more enzymes the better because they actually accelerate the process of energy creation in your body. And the good news is that cardiovascular work increases their concentration, which in turn will help you burn more calories.

As demonstrated by the research, cardio is a great way to speed up weight loss-it’s not just for long distance runners. So it’s in your best interest to include some cardio in your weight loss plan.

Having said that, figuring out the perfect amount can be less obvious. After all, if you go overboard you can prevent your body from recovering. In the end, you’re best served doing an amount that allows you to remain energetic and fully able to recover from weight lifting workouts.

by  Katherine Crawford