Have you come across a fitness center that
educates you about the importance of reaching your ideal EPOC, or excess
post-exercise oxygen consumption? You might be intrigued what its implications
are to your fitness goals. Here are five basic aspects of EPOC that you ought
to know.
1.
It depends on exercise intensity and duration.
Activities directly
affect your EPOC, which then directly affects your metabolism. When you perform
longer and more intense or strenuous activities, your body demands more oxygen
and resorts to other mechanisms to compensate for increased oxygen use.
2.
Certain people may find it more difficult to raise their EPOC.
Hormone levels can
influence EPOC, so factors like sex, age, and weight generally will affect how
demanding the activities should be to raise it.
Specifically, females, overweight or obese individuals, and older adults may
need to exert themselves more.
3.
Your EPOC will change according to your tolerance level.
If your body is used to
the exercise already, you may need to mix it up or do the workout more
intensely or quickly for optimal EPOC.
4.
The effects can last long after your workout.
Even if you aren’t
active after the intense workout, your metabolic rate could remain high throughout
the day, which means your body is able to burn more calories after the workout.
5.
Relying solely on EPOC won’t make your weight loss efficient.
Though the “after burn”
lingers, you still have to watch what you eat and drink to maximize weight
loss.
