The Most Effective Way to Burn Fat
When running at an easy pace for a short amount of time, the body hardly burns any fat. This is because during a slow jog, the body gets its energy from glycogen. Only after approximately an hour of running, when energy can no longer be taken from glycogen, does fat burning begin. Of course, if you run faster, glycogen will be burned faster and fat burning will start earlier. However, running for over an hour is not the most effective way to lose weight. At a moderate pace (9-12 km/h) that lasts for more than an hour, fat burning rate is not the highest. Furthermore, after glycogen stores are depleted, the body not only uses fat for energy but also starts breaking down muscle protein. So, if the goal is to burn fat while preserving muscle, long-distance running is far from the most efficient option.