Philip Pape 0:00

Have you ever heard the concept that certain types of workouts might keep burning a ton more calories long after you've left the gym for many hours afterward ? Well , today we're tackling this topic , sometimes a hot topic called the afterburner effect , or the idea that you can keep burning calories long after your workout is over . And in scientific terms , we are talking about EPOC excess post-exercise oxygen consumption . And the question is is this effect real ? Can it significantly impact your fat loss and , if so , how can you maximize it in your training ? Let's break it down and separate fact from fiction in today's Quick Wits . Welcome to the Wits and Weights podcast . I'm your host , philip Pape , and this twice a week podcast is dedicated to helping you achieve physical self-mastery by getting stronger , optimizing your nutrition and upgrading your body composition . We'll uncover science-backed strategies for movement , metabolism , muscle and mindset , with a skeptical eye on the fitness industry , so you can look and feel your absolute best . Let's dive right in . Today we're talking about the afterburner effect , the idea that burning more calories after your workout is possible , and it can be ramped up depending on the type of workout . Oftentimes , high intensity interval training is what is proposed . This is EPOC E-P-O-C excess post-exercise oxygen consumption . It came up in my lifting circles and I did some research into it to see is it real or not and to what extent . And it turns out that it is a real physiological phenomenon . It's not just hype but , as with many of these things , the reality is somewhere in the middle of probably extremes , as you heard , which is no , it doesn't happen at all versus oh yeah , it's the best secret out there for losing fat . So what is it ? What is EPOC ? In simple terms , it's the increased rate of oxygen intake that occurs after some form of activity , usually strenuous activity . Your body is using extra oxygen to restore itself to homeostasis , to a resting state , and also to adapt to what you just did . This , of course , requires energy , and that requires burning additional calories , even after you're done with your workout . So it happens .

Philip Pape 2:15

But here's where it's interesting the amount of that phenomenon , which some people call the afterburner effect . It isn't the same for all type of exercises , but it is proportional to the total amount of work done , which some people call the afterburner effect . It isn't the same for all type of exercises , but it is proportional to the total amount of work done . So if you normalized it for the total amount of work . It actually would be the same for all types of exercises . So that's the myth I wanna bust for people in case they had a different notion .

Philip Pape 2:40

So the more intense , the more voluminous , you know , the more volume you have , the greater the effect . But it really doesn't matter the mode , the modality , cause somebody was asking well , what about if you do a really heavy , uh one RM deadlift ? What if you high intensity interval training ? What if you just do normal cardio ? Right , you often hear that hit high intensity interval training is great for burning calories , and studies have found that it can elevate oxygen consumption for up to 21 hours post-exercise , which sounds impressive . But then , when you look at resistance training and match for the calorie expenditure during the workout , resistance training actually has a slightly higher epoch than both steady state cardio and HIIT . Right , and that's potentially because the extra damage in the muscle is requiring even more energy for repair and adaptation . However , other studies have shown that they're pretty much on par . So I'm not trying to give resistance training an edge here either . We have to take this all with a grain of salt and be skeptical .

Philip Pape 3:36

So heavy , low rep strength workouts , hiit training in general , which one should you do Guess what . Don't worry about these things , don't worry about epoch , just train , train . Don't even worry about calories burned . Train to build muscle , to get strong , you know . Throw in the cardio for some health or because you enjoy it . Have the right mix of things , do it strategically , plan it out and progress . Have a structured program that progresses you over time and that you can do consistently , because that is the number one criteria of all , not how many calories it burns , it's something that you can enjoy and sustain and gives you results and some mix of those .

Philip Pape 4:13

And guess what ? You don't have to spend hours in the gym to do that . You really don't . You want to balance all of that . Have the proper nutrition , proper recovery .

Philip Pape 4:22

No amount of EPOC or afterburner effect is going to outweigh any of this . Definitely not a poor diet , definitely not inadequate rest . Those are the big rocks , those are the foundations . So there you have it . I hope I settled the debate once and for all . The afterburner effect is real , but it's just one small piece of the bigger puzzle and doesn't matter , and it's all the same . Matched calorie for calorie . All right , thanks for tuning in to another episode of Quick Wits and if you enjoy these shorter episodes , go ahead and share it with a friend , give it a follow and we'll see you in the next Quick Wits . Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Wits and Weights . If you found value in today's episode and know someone else who's looking to level up their wits or weights , please take a moment to share this episode with them and make sure to hit the follow button in your podcast platform right now to catch the next episode . Until then , stay strong .