Maybe you’ve decided to pick up running to burn fat. That’s probably the number one reason most adults start running again and that’s absolutely ok! But I’ll warn you, at some point it sneaks up on you and you fall in love with it for so many other reasons.
But back to the main point, does running burn fat?
When it comes to weight loss and running, it only takes a quick search of social media to see the success stories of people who have lost weight by adding running to their fitness routine. It is a great calorie-burning exercise, after-all. But is it really that simple?
A quick google search around running fat loss brings up a variety of articles. I’ve certainly talked about what I wish I knew before trying to lose weight and even have a guide to help! So why is it so confusing to implement?
Mostly because running alone isn’t the solution we believe it to be.
Stick with me as we explore how the body loses weight, particularly fat, and how running and exercise play a role, but are only one part of the picture.
How Does Running Burn Fat?
All food you consume is either turned in to energy for your body to utilize during the day or during a workout OR stored as fat because it doesn’t need to be used.
During every workout the body is burning a combination of carbohydrates and fat for fuel. The amount of each used will change with the intensity of the workout. Working out on an empty stomach does NOT change how your body uses fuel at different intensities, but 100% can lead to muscle loss, slower recovery and sucky workouts.
When we exercise and run, our body is powered by a variety of sources including carbs, fat, and the oxygen we breathe in among other things. What our body uses to fuel us depends on the type of exercise and the intensity.
For example, a long slow or walk will rely more on fat for fuel. While a sprint workout or your half marathon race day performance will increase the HR more and require the body to use more quick burning carbohydrates for easy fuel.
🛑This is where many people start to get confused and believe it means that we need to just do long slow cardio to burn the most fat and hit our goals.
Total calories burned, total lean body mass and your nutrition are all still more important than the amount of fat or carbs used for fuel during a specific workout.
Just because you are in a “fat burning zone” does not mean you will lose more body fat.
To answer the question in my headline, running and fat loss can and do go hand-in-hand. But it’s not as simple as just heading out the door and hitting the road.The type of running and exercising you do plays a part.
- You need to learn how to truly run EASY on your easy days. That’s where Low Heart Rate Training can be a massive benefit.
- High Intensity days are still necessary (especially post menopause where the body doesn’t use carbs as well and that shock helps)
- Muscle and strength building workouts may burn fewer calories in the moment, but have a long term impact.
1. Length of Exercise Time (LISS)
Low-intensity steady state cardio might be a term you’ve seen a lot of bodybuilders or fitness professionals talk about. Low intensity efforts for longer periods of time usually result in a greater fat burn as noted above. When it comes to running, that means long runs of at least 30 minutes or more.
For many, a 30-minute run may be about 3 miles or so, but it could be more or less. Regardless, in these long-distance runs it’s important to go at a pace that keeps your heart rate low. This usually means being able to carry on a conversation easily.
And YES there is also a point of diminishing returns. There is no need to go to the gym and hop on a treadmill or elliptical and do cardio for hours on end. There’s a reason that so many gain weight training for a marathon.
More is just more at some point.
2. Types of Cardio
Cardio is either aerobic or anaerobic. What’s the difference?
- Aerobic is lower-intensity. Your heart rate remains relatively low and your body focuses on using oxygen and fat to keep you moving. Great for bigger calorie burn, long term health and weight loss.
- Anaerobic is higher-intensity. Your body will require more than oxygen and fat to perform. Your heart rate will be higher and you’ll be using carbs for energy. Also known for EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), or calorie burning after the workout is over.
What qualifies as aerobic exercise? Walking, hiking, or a light jog are good examples. Anaerobic exercise on the other hand would include high-intensity interval training (like plyometrics), sprints, and other high-intensity runs.
A number of studies in the Journal of Applied Physiology, have shown that cardio alone results in more weight loss than strength. HOWEVER, these studies are done on obese and inactive individuals, where the initial weight loss is the primary focus. If you’re goal is to change your body shape, then muscle building is a must.
The pyramid below assumes you are in that final phase of losing a few pounds because you want to see muscle definition or that final 10-20lbs. As noted, cardio can increase in importance for those that are looking to lose a higher amount of weight. But does not mean strength is not important.
3. Strength Training
If body re-composition or fat loss is your goal, then ensuring you are maintaining or building muscle is 100% required.
You need to let go of the worry that muscle weighs more than fat. If your goal is fat loss, then the more muscle the better and thus we’re tossing the scale out the window when you get anywhere near losing vanity pounds or even the last 20lbs in your journey.
A 2001 study, followed a group for 24 weeks to see the impacts of strength training on resting metabolic rate. The average increase regardless of age or gender was 7%!
That means you’re burning more calories while sleeping, eating, watching tv. A big win for getting closer to any body composition goals. Additionally, data has shown that your metabolism remains elevated after lifting for many hours.
Finally, let’s dive more in to the key reason we want to lift weights even if it doesn’t mean a change in the scale.
Factors Affecting Fat Burning While Running
Running can help you burn fat and improve your overall health, but several factors can affect how much fat you burn during your runs. Let’s look at them in more detail:
Individual Metabolism
Your metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. Everyone’s metabolism is different and has an impact on how efficiently their body burns fat.
Some people may naturally have a faster metabolism, leading to more significant fat loss during exercise. However, you can also boost your metabolism through regular exercise and strength training.
Running Duration and Frequency
The duration and frequency of your runs can also affect how much fat you burn. Running for longer periods or more frequently can lead to more significant fat loss.
However, it’s important to strike a balance between intensity, duration, and frequency to prevent injury and ensure adequate recovery time. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, injury, and a decrease in fat-burning efficiency.
It’s recommended that you aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, spread out over several days. This can include running, walking, cycling, or other aerobic activities. If you’re new to running, start slowly and gradually increase your distance and intensity over time.
Nutrition and Hydration
What you eat and drink also affects how much fat your body burns while running. A nutritious diet that includes healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein can help support fat burning.
Foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean meats can provide the energy and nutrients your body needs to sustain long runs and burn fat efficiently.
It’s also important to stay adequately hydrated before, during, and after your runs. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, and a decrease in fat-burning efficiency.
Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, and more if you’re running in hot or humid conditions.
Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat
There needs to be a distinction between losing weight and losing fat. As we discussed above, being in a caloric deficit will help you lose weight. However, that doesn’t mean you’re burning fat when you’re exercising or decreasing your overall body fat percentage.
Losing fat is often what results in aesthetic changes to your body.
Which is why you started wondering does running burn fat, right?
When you lose fat, your overall weight may go down, it may stay the same, or it may even increase, especially if you’re focusing on developing muscle mass.
Depending on the reasons behind your desire to lose fat, the scale may not be your best way to judge.
Running to Burn Fat Plan
Don’t be extreme with your workouts or your food if you truly want to see results. The extreme changes rarely last and usually result in weight regain.
Instead, follow a good plan that involves a combination of:
- Strength training at least 2 days per week (Here are some great runner strength programs)
- Easy run days from 30-60 minutes
- 1-2 days of sprints or interval running workouts or a HIIT workout (don’t over do the cardio it will make you hungrier and increases cortisol which then leads to storing belly fat.)
- At least 1 complete rest day – growth doesn’t happen during the workout, it happens during the recovery
Remember that with all of this progressive overload is the key. You want to slowly increase the weight you can lift or the type of speed workout. Then take a cutback to recover and then slowly build again.
Doing the same strength workout with the same weights and the same run every week, will likely result in the dreaded plateau. You don’t need to “confuse” the muscles with tons of variety. You just need to keep progressing.
Eating for Fat Loss
Ultimately, if you want to achieve fat loss you need to do a mix of exercise and also pay attention to diet. I am not a Registered Dietitian, which is why I always reach out to them for tips around nutrition to share.
We all know we can’t outrun or out-exercise a bad diet, nor can we spotcheck areas of our body we are unhappy with. We also know that focusing on our nutrition will help us perform better.
A 2015 study found that runners who used running to lose weight and ran at least a 5k per week with diet improvements reduced their fat mass significantly more than those who just ran alone over a one-year period.
Dr Bob Seebohar and I worked together previously when burning more fat was a goal of mine and I documented the recommended changes for tips that you can use as well. So instead of recapping that here, I’m going to point you to that article!
But one big piece of this puzzle is always calories, so let’s do a little math to help you start that equation.
How Does the Body Lose Weight?
There are some basics regarding losing weight you may already be aware of but that are worth mentioning here given the focus of this article.
To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume.
If only it were that simple.
Our bodies do need fuel, both to simply live, but also to perform athletically. Slashing calories significantly will allow you to burn more than you take in, but eventually it will negatively affect both how you feel (mood, brain fog, injuries) and how well you can perform even on the easiest of running days.
Ultimately, you’ll want to know how many calories you need to take in daily just to exist (basal metabolic rate), as well as take into consideration your activity level to determine your maintenance calories. This is the number that allows you to maintain your current weight.
Use this to calculate how many calories should runners eat >>
Once you have those calorie numbers, the recommendation is to cut 100-300 from the total number of calories to create a calorie deficit. That doesn’t sound like a lot of calories, but losing weight shouldn’t be swift and as mentioned earlier, cutting too much can cause health problems ranging from fatigue to injury, and more.
And every 6 weeks or so, you should do a day where you go above maintenance calories by up to 300-500. This has actually been found to help fat loss even more by ensuring the body doesn’t slow metabolism and can give you an energy boost for workouts.
If you’re trying to build muscle, it’s actually recommended that you not do the calorie cutting. The body needs all those calories to create muscle and change your body composition.
What about Macros?
You can take this a step further and dive into macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) too. Working with a dietician familiar with runners is a good idea as they’ll have a better understanding of the nuances behind fueling for running and everyday life. Learn more about running and counting macros here.
If that’s not an option, there are apps and online calculators that can help you determine the appropriate macronutrients for your goals.
We do know that if fat loss is the goal, eating enough protein is extremely important.
Common Running Fat Loss Myths Debunked
There are many myths surrounding running and fat loss that can be misleading. Let’s take a closer look at some of these myths and debunk them.
Myth: Running on an Empty Stomach Burns More Fat
Many people believe that running on an empty stomach is the best way to burn fat. The theory behind this is that when your body is in a fasted state, it will burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While it is true that running on an empty stomach may lead to burning more fat initially, it can also lead to decreased performance and an increased risk of injury.
When you run on an empty stomach, your body has limited glycogen stores to use for energy. This can lead to fatigue, dizziness, and even fainting. It’s essential to fuel your body with carbohydrates before running to ensure optimal performance and prevent these issues. A small snack, such as a banana or a piece of toast with peanut butter, can provide the necessary energy to power through your run.
Myth: Running Slowly for Longer Periods is Better for Fat Loss
Another common myth is that running at a slow steady pace for longer periods is the best way to burn fat. While running at a slow steady pace may be effective for building endurance, it may not lead to significant fat loss.
Increasing the intensity of your run, even for shorter periods, can lead to more efficient calorie and fat burning. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to be particularly effective for fat loss. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise.
This type of training can increase your metabolism and continue to burn calories even after your workout is over. But, as I mentioned earlier, don’t over do the cardio since it will make you hungrier and increases cortisol which then leads to storing belly fat.
That’s a ton of information and yet we’re just scratching the surface of this topic. It sounds so simple, but the truth is that fat loss is complex because your body isn’t a machine that follows specific calculations.
You may need to experiment a little bit and you will absolutely need to be consistent because changes usually take months and sometimes years, not weeks.
Keep reading to learn more:
- Running for Weight Loss Guide
- What Muscles Does Running Work?
- Working out and gaining weight? Here’s why
- Running weight gain – what’s the deal
- How to maintain muscle mass during marathon training
- Running for abs – how it works
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How to Use a Recovery Week or Down Week in Running
