A question came in the other day from a female RN dedicated to her fitness routine:
“I spend a lot of time working out, both with weight training and cardio.  Some days I do both in the same day.  If I’m looking to burn fat, should I do cardio before or after weight training?”

This is a great question, one that stirs a lot of debate in the fitness community.  Google the topic and you’ll see opinions and perspectives that are all over the map.  Some say cardio before weights is the best; others say the direct opposite.  The before and after camps are each firmly convinced of their convictions, and probably rightly so.  There has been no definitive research study to date to answer conclusively for everybody.

Despite the ongoing debate, it is clear that the majority of experts agree that the answer is to do cardio after weights.  They suggest that your body uses stored glycogen for energy during your weight routine, and when it comes time for cardio, with glycogen near depletion, fat becomes the primary fuel source.  These experts also point to recent widely-cited Japanese studies on the topic.  Here’s the highlights:

• A weight workout before cardio results in significantly more fat-burning than doing cardio alone. A cardio-only group burned 20% of their total calories from fat, while another group who did cardio after weights burned nearly 50% of their total calories from fat.  (Admittedly, the problem with this study is the researchers are only comparing the effects of cardio alone vs. cardio + weights, but the results do show that weights in advance of cardio will encourage your body to use fat as a fuel source, instead of stored glycogen.)

• The researchers discovered that when subjects performed cardio prior to weights, their Growth Hormone (GH) levels afterward increased by +500% compared to rest levels.  Those subjects that lifted first, then did cardio increased their GH levels by about 1,600% above resting level.  So what does this mean?  Growth Hormones are a group of hormones that stimulate protein synthesis and – among other things -  promote the breakdown and use of fats as an energy source, rather than glucose (blood sugar).  Doing cardio after weights accelerates your body’s usage of fat – instead of carbs - for fuel.

Dig in and do your own research.  The Japanese studies above are not irrefutable.  In fact, a separate study from BYU in Utah showed that EPOC (Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption) – the measure of caloric burn after you stop exercising – was greatest when cardio was done before weight training.  So again, the jury may still be out.

All things considered, our vote is to do what you prefer.  Maintaining a routine of weights plus cardio takes drive and determination, and over the long haul you’ll be better off if you’re happy with what you’re doing and don’t burn out.  If you have absolutely no preference and are looking to simply be the most effective, then perform your cardio after weights, and watch the fat melt away!

_____
This blog is maintained by Re Vitals Nursing - www.revitals.com.  Visit us!