Short and hard cardio vs. long and easy cardio?

Question

I do cardio on the treadmill 4 times a week and I am wondering if overall I would burn more fat running hard for 15 minutes or jogging medium pace for 30 minutes?

Answer 1

If you are only concerned with burning calories the mileage is what matters.
If you walk one mile or run very fast you still only burn about 100 calories.
Do what is best for you so that you are consistent.

Answer 2

You will burn more fat running/jogging at a moderate pace for 30 minutes. To use fat for energy efficiently you must exercise aerobically (with oxygen). Take the number 220, subtract your age, and multiply that number by 70 percent. That should be where your heart rate is at. However, everyone is different so you can also judge where you are at by whether you can comfortably talk or not while running. Work at a pace so that you can speak 8-10 words all in one breath without gasping for air.

Answer 3

SURPRISE !!! You ain't gonna burn any fat either way. The body burns glycogen for about the first half hour of aerobic exercise, so if you stop at 30 mins, you won't even start to burn fat.

What you should do is lengthen your workout to a full hour, maybe by a combination of running and walking. In any case, a short and hard workout won't burn any fat, but quite likely will build up lactic acid.

Answer 4

Intervals - short bursts of sprints with some "rest" periods are best for melting fat. Don't actually rest, though; try to do your recovery periods at your normal cardio rate and do your bursts as fast as you can. This leaves you a lot of play so you don't get bored, too-you can use hills as your intervals (incline on treadmill), change up the times of sprints &/or recovery, or add overall time. Just don't add more than 10% per week to your workload or you risk overtraining. Intervals can feel easier than steady cardio and they continue to burn fat long after you're finished. Good luck!