13/12/2018
You’re probably well aware of what happens after you use an iron to press a shirt or dress. The iron itself stays hot for quite some time. The same thing can happen with your body when you’re done crushing a workout. You may not even realize it, but your body continues to burn calories when the effort’s over through a process called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Commonly referred to as the afterburn effect, it’s like getting more bang for your buck.
Afterburn Effect: What’s Going On
“As the recovery phase begins, your body has some immediate maintenance to do to bring you back to homeostasis or rest,” says Chelsea Aguiar, performance coach in New York City. “It must replenish energy stores, reoxygenate your blood, cool your sweating body, and rein in your racing heart. All of which require energy (calories) to execute.”
And while there is arguably some sort of EPOC after every workout, the more intense your sweat session is, the more EPOC you’ll have, say Paul Zahra a certified strength and conditioning coach based in Croydon Surrey
“Your typical high-intensity interval training, including Tabata and metcons [metabolic conditioning workouts], are the first entry points into experiencing EPOC,” he says. “Higher-intensity training like CrossFit workouts, specifically AMRAPs (as many reps as possible), sprint repeats, and high-intensity interval runs reaching 95 percent max heart rate with short recoveries are ways to increase EPOC to higher levels.”
But how much calorie burn are we really talking about here with the afterburn effect? Runners and cyclists who participated in speed interval training burned between 45 and 65 calories within the first two hours following a workout, according to an article in Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism. Is 65 calories a total game-changer? Maybe not one session’s 65 calories. But if you think about it, over time (days, weeks, months) that accumulates to a lot more than just sitting around.
Want to get your EPOC on and burn off fat? We don’t blame you. Try one of the two below workouts.
2 Afterburn Effect Workouts
Dumbbell Burner
Your trainer: Paul Zahra
Do: 5-minute AMRAP
The Workout
5 dumbbell squats
5 dumbbell shoulder press
10 alternating reverse lunges (dumbbells at sides)
Tip: “The weights you choose should be heavy enough for the last two minutes to feel like a serious struggle, but light enough for you to maintain proper form.”
Run for It
Your trainer: Paul Zahra
Do: Repeat 5 to 8 sets
