Want To Burn Belly Fat? Study Shows Aerobic Exercise Is Your Best Bet

Dr. Bev Blessing FNP, PHD

I ran across this fantastic article regarding jogging and belly fat. Belly fat and muffin tops are some of the most frustrating issues for many of us women today. In the past we have felt that it was the resistance training that was the most benefit for toning the body. The following study from Duke University does a head to head study comparing aerobic exercise, with weight training, and a combination of both, looking at the effect on belly fat. In the study, aerobics did the best, burning 67% more calories. The aerobic participants in the study only exercised an equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week. Since jogging is free, this is a very cost effective option for aerobic exercise. Weight resistance is still needed for improving lean muscle mass, but aerobic exercise is a great start. Now the only issue is finding my jogging shoes. 


Duke University Article:
Aerobic Exercise Bests Resistance Training At Burning Belly Fat
By Duke Medicine News and Communications


Aerobic exercise is your best bet when it comes to losing that dreaded belly fat, a new study finds.

When Duke University Medical Center researchers conducted a head-to-head comparison of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and a combination of the two, they found aerobic exercise to be the most efficient and most effective way to lose the belly fat that’s most damaging to your health.

This isn’t the fat that lies just under your skin and causes the dreaded muffin top. Belly or abdominal fat -- known in scientific communities as visceral fat and liver fat -- is located deep within the abdominal cavity and fills the spaces between internal organs. It’s been associated with increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer.

“When it comes to increased health risks, where fat is deposited in the body is more important than how much fat you have,” says Duke exercise physiologist Cris Slentz, PhD, lead author of the study published today in the American Journal of Physiology.

“Our study sought to identify the most effective form of exercise to get rid of that unhealthy fat.”

The Duke study showed aerobic training significantly reduced visceral fat and liver fat, the culprit in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aerobic exercise also did a better job than resistance training at improving fasting insulin resistance, and reducing liver enzymes and fasting triglyceride levels. All are known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

Resistance training achieved no significant reductions in visceral fat, liver fat, liver enzyme levels or improvements in insulin resistance. The combination of aerobic with resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic training alone.

“Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass,” says Slentz. “But if you are overweight, which two-thirds of the population is, and you want to lose belly fat, aerobic exercise is the better choice because it burns more calories.”

Aerobic training burned 67 percent more calories in the study when compared to resistance training.

The eight-month study followed 196 overweight, sedentary adults (ages 18 to 70) who were randomized to one of three groups: aerobic training; resistance training or a combination of the two.

The aerobic group performed exercises equivalent to 12 miles of jogging per week at 80-percent maximum heart rate. The resistance group performed three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions three times per week.

All programs were closely supervised and monitored to ensure maximum effort in participation.

While the training programs were rigorous and substantial, Slentz says their previous research leads him to believe similar results could be achieved with a more moderate aerobic exercise program.

“What really counts is how much exercise you do, how many miles you walk, and how many calories you burn,” he says. “If you choose to work at a lower aerobic intensity, it will simply take longer to burn the same amount of unhealthy fat.”


You may read the original article here.

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