Weight Loss and Running

[Sandy]

     Running and weight loss often go hand and hand as it is one of the best ways to lose weight.  A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that runners can burn up to 50 percent more calories than walkers. 
     It was originally thought that the most efficient way to lose weight was by going slow, working in the fat-burning zone which is 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate and burning more calories from fat.  Recently research suggests that high intensity bouts use more total calories and that interval training; periods of hard running alternating with periods of recovery work is most efficient both during and after the workout.  The after-burn effect describes the calories that you continue burning after you have completed your run to pay back the oxygen debt accumulated which is greater with higher intensity efforts.  To maximize the effect ensure that you eat some carbs and protein, about 100 calories in a four to one ratio in the first 30 minutes.  Fasting is not recommended as your body will break down muscle tissue to replenish used carbohydrate stores.
     Low intensity running is still important as it builds endurance which will allow you to run longer, builds cardiovascular fitness and improves lung capacity by increasing capillaries.  Resting heart rate drops which is an indicator that the heart moves more blood with every pump.  Endurance running also reduces the risk of high blood pressure and improves your cholesterol profile.
     So what happens if you are running and aren?t losing weight?  Weight loss is a balance between what you eat versus what you burn.  A pound of fat is 3500 calories so if you currently weigh 175 pounds, run a six minute kilometre pace and run for 60 minutes you will burn approximately 835 calories.  You would have to do this for four days to lose one pound of fat and that is without taking in any additional calories.  This level of activity is pretty advance for most beginner runners so if you were to cut your sessions in half and run for 30 minute bouts it would take you eight days to lose that pound.  Most people find a combination of increased activity with a decrease in food intake to be the least difficult to maintain.
     Strength training assists weight loss in two ways.  An increase in muscle mass leads to a more efficient running style, reducing injuries which increases the likelihood that you can run comfortably longer, upping the calorie burn.  Secondly while fat is metabolically inert, meaning it takes very few calories to maintain, muscle is metabolically active so the more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn at rest and consequently during activity.
     If you begin your program on the heavier side, be careful about adding too much intensity too soon, pay attention to your shoes as you may have to replace them more often and drink more fluid as you may sweat more and it is an important aid to weight loss.     
     

[David]

Sandy,

  How does running at a lower intensity improve your overall running ability? ie running at 70% heart rate versus 85-90%???


Dave

[Sandy]

Lower intensity running is the meat of your week and should comprise up to 80% of your activity with only about 20% coming from intensity work.  It's like building the foundation for the intensity to springboard from.  Lower intensity running increases pathways from the heart to the tissues, think blood not just travelling down the 401 but the ability of it to use rural routes and access roads as well.  It improves your engines ability to exchange gases at the cellular level because maximum heart rate is not limited by how fast the heart can pump but rather how quickly it can exchange gases (oxygen for carbon dioxide).  Lower intensity running improves your hearts ability to recover so think Stockdale Road...intensity training allows you to power up the first hill but lower intensity training allows for a quick recover to a lower heart rate while going down the back side so you are prepared to power up the next hill.  Your "enjoyment" of Stockdale Road will be based on both low intensity work and high intensity work, the first person to the top has the ability to work hard and recover fast from each effort.

Looking at the foundation analogy again, the bigger the foundation the bigger the structure that can be built on it.  Lance armstrong has/had a huge foundation and at one point was reported to be able to work aerobically up to 90% of his maximum heart rate.  So while he only had 10% more to work with intensity wise, I think that you can see while climbing a mountain he would still be in his aerobic zone while most competitors were working really hard.  Ultimately in his "big win" days he didn't have to dip into that 10% very often for very long.

Intensity work is important but it also increases the potential for injury and is one of those things that more isn't better.  Some people find that they get faster just by doing more work (usually lower intensity) particularly if they are new to the sport or if they haven't dedicated a lot of time to it.  Small bouts of intensity can work well without stressing the body such as 10 second hill sprints which end before the lactate system is activated but utilized those muscle fibers that can aid speed.

[Kate]

I dont think I do any intensity work.  I just head out the door and go for runs and sometimes I run faster than other times or go longer versus shorter.  I usually keep runs shorter through the week and go for a longer run on Sundays.  Speed is definitely determined by how I feel that certain day and whether I am running by myself or with a buddy.
But if I read what you said correctly, it is this running pattern that for me personally helps me increase my endurance (farther) and even run that little bit faster when entering a racing event?

[Sandy]

Possibly. Intensity has to be relative to something such as heart rate or pace relative to lactate production.  If you don't have relevant numbers then you may be working at a pace that is not strengthening the goal parameter.  For example running too fast to affect edurance based changes or too slow to affect intensity based changes.  Every run should have a purpose and if speed or endurance are the purpose without relevance how do you know if #1 you are working on that purpose and #2 achieved your goal.

Keep in mind you can head out the door without knowing pace or heart rate, enjoy your run and experience changes in mood, weight and overall health and fitness BUT if you are purposefully trying to change something about your running ie: get faster, go longer, lose weight, improve heart health then you need some point of reference to achieve it.

[QATS3]

What happens if you only have one speed?????
Cheers,
Bryan

[Jane]

Talk to Sandy, Bryan.      She will help you and if you listen to her, you will have more than one speed. 

It worked for me about ten years ago when I was much more serious about my running.  It was amazing what the slow runs plus interval training once every two weeks (I think it was that frequency) can do.  I surpassed my goal.

[tire guy]

What happens if you only have one speed?????
Cheers,
Bryan

When the speed is slow they ride Cervelo 

[David]

Since my knee surgery and taking the learn to run program until now I have seen a huge improvement in my running abilities. Now to get my wife Kim to believe that pushing yourself hard on pace count runs is a good thing!!!

[QATS3]

Jane... my only goal is survival!!!!
Dennis... always amazed that no matter what the subject is it always ends up coming back to my amazing bike!!!! Could it be that you are just a bit jealous???
Cheers,
Bryan

[Newt]

G'day Bryan,

When you are as fast as Dennis everyone/thing seems slow so don't take it personally. Dennis is the only guy I know that can go soooo fast that he can bike around the globe and get in his own draft, that is unless he feels like dropping himself. :)

Peace
Peter

[Sandy]

That's the only way he can read the "Draft Pig" message on the shorts in front of him!!!   

[tire guy]

I can't take all those complements alone my speed comes from my coach & riding partners