When you do
cardio, you also burn protein (ie. muscle). When you keep you
heart rate lower, you burn mainly just
fat. However, you will still burn more
fat doing
cardio because you are working a lot harder. This is why, you can do 2 things to maximize your
fat burning while reducing muscle loss during a "cardio" workout.
1) be sure to have lots of protein before and after a workout (also aids in muscle recovery)
2) use
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - by running for short distances (20-30 seconds) and then jogging for longer (30-45 seconds), you will optimize your
fat burning while reducing the amount of protein that is burnt.
