Back in the 1980s, steady-state cardio ruled. It was common to see people at the gym training in the “fat-burning zone” for sixty minutes or longer. Then along came interval training, and the benefits of steady-state cardio were questioned. Why spend hours on the treadmill when you can get the same benefits in only 20 minutes of hard training? It’s true, research shows you don’t need to exercise for an hour to get cardiovascular and fat-burning benefits. But you have to work harder if you’re going to interval train for that length of time and see results.
Does this mean steady-state cardio is dead? Not necessarily. There are advantages to good-old-fashioned cardio, and it still offers benefits for most people.
First, the benefits of interval training. Even though you exercise for a shorter time length when you interval train, the calorie-burn over a 24-hour period may actually be greater than when you do an hour of steady-state cardio. If done properly, interval training takes you into the anaerobic zone. This creates an “oxygen debt” that the body has to repay after your workout is over.
To repay this debt, you breathe a little harder after your workout, fat-burning hormones increase and more fat is broken down and released into the bloodstream to help compensate for the energy deficit. This is known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), also referred to as the after-burn. You don’t get the same degree of after-burn, if any, after steady-state cardio.
Another advantage of interval training is it reduces the risk of overuse injuries since you’re not spending hours pounding your limbs and joints against a hard surface. Many people enjoy interval training, because it’s over so quickly, and it’s less repetitive and monotonous. Your body is also less likely to “adapt” to interval training as it does with steady-state cardio. Once you do steady-state cardio for weeks or months on end, your body becomes more efficient, and you burn less fat.
Steady-state cardio, especially for ninety minutes or more, also increases cortisol levels. Higher levels of cortisol can work against you in your efforts to lose body fat and increase belly fat. Cortisol also lowers immunity, so you could end up with more colds.
Steady-State Cardio Still Has Benefits
Not everyone is suited for interval training. You need to be in good health and at a certain fitness level before maxing out. Steady-state cardio is a good alternative for beginners who aren’t ready for higher intensity training. Steady-state cardio still burns significant calories and fat, although this will usually decrease over time as the body adapts. It also “teaches” your body to better use fat as a fuel source. You may burn more fat as a percentage of total fuel with cardio, but you don’t burn as many total calories or benefit from the after-burn.
If you like the stress-reducing benefits of exercise and enjoy doing something aerobic every day, steady-state cardio may be a better choice. Interval training workouts are more intense and should be done only 3 times a week. If you feel like doing a little steady-state cardio in between, you have that option. Just don’t overtrain.
Why Not Do Both?
There’s no reason why you can’t do steady-state cardio some days and interval training on others. It’s a good way to add variety to your workout. If you’re in good health and up to doing interval training, you’ll get more benefits focusing on interval training – but no more than 3 times a week. Add a steady-state cardio session in one every week to ten days for a little variation. It’ll keep your workout varied and interesting.
References:
Exercise Physiology. Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. Powers and Howley. Seventh edition. 2009.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Does Too Much Cardio Lead to Muscle Loss?
Strength Training Vs. Cardio: What Happens When You Do Cardio and Don’t Strength Train?
