Question on Jogging

hi…kev..im24 yrs old with a height 179cm n i’m quit big size frame,during in high school i use to play volleyball&basketball but since then i never play anymore n i gain weight..recently i started to jogg in d afternoon but my fren saying that jogg in the afternoon is not so good much more better jogg in morning is that rite? She said jogg in morning can burn more calori compare in the afternoon.i hope u can help me with this thanks…

Answer: Guide to Burning Fat While Jogging

Hi Jack,

Thanks for your email. Actually there is a reason why it’s “better” to jog in the morning. Lemme explain about jogging and aerobics.

Jogging is a form of aerobics, an activity that is performed over longer periods of time. People always ask, “I don’t have a place where I can run, can I swim for cardio?” Answer is Yes! Any form of sports activity performed over longer periods of time is considered cardio, including badminton, futsal etc. Obviously if you play goalie and just stand there, that’s not much of a cardio session.

How long should I do cardio for?

For at least 20 minutes! Like you know, one of the main goals of cardio is to burn fat. Sounds simple? Not quite! When you do cardio, your body burns energy it has stored. But what it burns first is glycogen that is stored in your muscles. Glycogen is the first thing your body will look for before looking elsewhere (fat). Glycogen levels rise/fall depending on your carb consumption. Your body only has about a couple pounds of glycogen stored in your muscles. For the average Joe, its takes about 20 minutes for your body to use up all glycogen before turning to fat. Hence, you should maintain your cardio session for at least 20 minutes.

…For the average Joe, its takes about 20 minutes for your body to use up all glycogen before turning to fat….

When should you jog or do cardio?

Its up to you! Its best in the morning only because your glycogen level are low right after you wake up (unless you eat lah) and you will then start burning fat right way. But its not quite practical for the working adult. So, you can “duplicate” this scenario by avoiding carbs 3-4 hours prior to your run to deplete glycogen levels. So say you wanna jog @ 6pm, your last carb meal should be around lunch!

…you can “duplicate” this scenario by avoiding carbs 3-4 hours prior to your run to deplete glycogen levels…

This is good for fat burning but not ideal for performance athletes who need quick energy from glycogen. That’s why football player like Ronaldo are not super lean (although they train daily) as they burn glycogen and not fat.

Cardio fat burning rule:

So, cardio rule of thumb for fat burning: 1) Avoid carbs before your session and 2) maintain the activity for at least 20 minutes!