Should we do aerobic exercise to lose belly fat?
While weight training can help you lose weight and build muscle, aerobic exercise may be more effective if you want to get rid of belly fat (also known as visceral fat or belly fat). Belly fat, or excess fat around the abdomen and internal organs, is known to increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
What is Belly Fat?
This fat, also called intra-abdominal fat, usually occurs around the abdomen. Fat is found between organs such as the liver, stomach, and intestines. It is different from fat found elsewhere in the body, under the skin (called subcutaneous fat), and from fat in the muscles (or muscle fat).
Exercises Compared
It is important to understand what aerobic exercise and resistance training are. Any activity that increases your heart rate and requires your lungs and heart to work hard to get oxygen out of your body is called aerobic exercise. Jumping rope, jogging, cycling, running, swimming, and rowing are all aerobic exercises that increase your oxygen needs when done. Grow and strengthen your muscles. Push-ups, pull-ups, weight training, and using elastic or hydraulic movements or holding positions are all types of resistance training.
How the Study Compared Exercises
There aren’t many studies on the difference between weight training and cardio, but researchers at Duke University decided to take the time to look at how visceral fat compares and changes. The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, involved 198 adults between the ages of 18 and 70 who were diagnosed as overweight and led a sedentary lifestyle and were divided into three groups. One group did three heavy, specific sets of eight to 12 repetitions, three times a week for eight months. The second group ran 19 miles per week to reach 80 percent of their maximum heart rate, and the third group combined the first two types of exercise. Each group was monitored to ensure that all participants were participating in the study.
Who Lost More Weight?
At the end of the study, researchers found that those in the aerobic group lost more fat around the liver, as well as visceral and abdominal fat. They also showed better insulin resistance and lower levels of liver enzymes and other triglycerides. These conditions, if left uncontrolled, increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
On the flip side, the participants who lifted weights 3x a week burned less fat but did not harm their overall health. There was no change in participants’ body fat or liver enzyme levels, and there was no increase or decrease in insulin resistance. The group that combined the two types of exercise reported similar results to the aerobic exercise group. The researchers also noted that participating in some types of aerobic exercise, such as running, burned an average of 67 percent more calories than weight and resistance training.
What's the Difference?
If you’re looking to build muscle, build strength, and develop your core, resistance training is more effective, but if you’re looking to lose fat, especially belly fat, aerobic exercise is better for you. While there’s no way to determine how much visceral fat you have around your belly, visceral fat can be measured by the presence of a “beer belly.” This fat is present, but it’s more prevalent in women. The researchers also noted that people of Caucasian descent tend to be more obese than African Americans. While older people are more likely to absorb and reuse visceral fat from their bodies, older people have more visible fat because it’s visible under their skin.
