![]() ![]() Furthermore, there are only about six universities in the country that have “metabolic chambers” that can control variables precisely enough to determine the true effect of intensity on EPOC. Scientists have been working to answer this question since the early 1990s, and have attempted to investigate what combinations of exercise extend this period of “free gains.” This has been hindered by the fact that the research methodology has been all over the place, explains University of New Mexico exercise scientist Len Kravitz, Ph.D., who was among the first to investigate EPOC, to Inverse. The zones used by Orange Theory to maximize EPOC Orange Theory Caclulating The Orange Zone: The Miller et. The longer you spend in these high-intensity zones, says Townshend, the longer this “afterburn” seems to last, but the question remains: for how long? If Orange Theory is to be believed, it can last up to 36 hours. This, potentially, is the fitness holy grail - free aerobic gains while you lay on the couch and recover. Townsend explains that the concept behind EPOC is that high-intensity work - that done in zones four and five - create an “oxygen debt” that requires work to repay, even after the workout is over. Townsend says that the program could be improved, though: “Orange Theory’s training zones are based off percentages of maximum heart rate, so if an exercising individual wants to maximize EPOC, it would be suggested that they try to enter those higher zones four and five which correspond to a higher intensity and longer EPOC,” he adds. “Those durations seem reasonable, especially since quality high-intensity work cannot be maintained for a long duration,” Jeremy Townsend, Ph.D a kinesiologist at Lipscomb University who has studied EPOC, tells Inverse. Orange Theory claims it has found the right combination of these zones to maximize EPOC: 25-30 minutes in zone two or three, and 12 to 20 min in zones four or five. Zone one is the easiest, zone five is the most intense, and zone four is the “orange” zone for which the program is named if executed correctly, zone five should be unsustainable for longer than a minute or so. Those target heart rates, based on a person’s maximum heart rate, fall within five “zones” of intensity. The advertising for Orangetheory on its website declares it is "BACKED BY SCIENCE," so we asked scientists.Ī typical Orange Theory class lasts around an hour and is based on achieving certain “target” heart rates that kick EPOC into action. The Orange Theory is based on a concept in exercise physiology called post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) - colloquially called the “afterburn.” The idea is that, if a person maintains a certain maximum heart rate during a workout, they will continue to burn calories long afterward through an oxygen-burning process. It had another 54 lease agreements and 34 franchise agreements in its pipeline at that time, too. The company has more than 900 locations in 48 states and 17 countries, reported Franchise Times in April. The company’s astounding growth rate suggests that customers are satisfied, but experts are not sure it can deliver on all it’s promises. Orange Theory, a program touted among the best-hour long workout classes in America by Men’s Journal, has led the pack recently, boasting a scientifically driven interval training method that claims to maximize the calories one burns after a workout is over. ![]() I can only wait until this technology is available on the rowers as well and throughout all locations.As fitness franchises battle for that one hour a day most of can tolerate working out, it’s helpful to know which companies are delivering the most physiological gains per minute. Since I hadn't been to OTF in a minute, I burned over 500 calories, earned 23 Splat points, and moved 4,000 steps - a great workout! I can see in classes where you alternate between the treadmill and the rower having a cumulative number of how many miles you move will be helpful. I also loved that it had more stats than just my calories and Splat points. ![]() It also kept me focused so I didn't have to keep looking away to find my name on the giant screen in class (and with how apt I am to trip on treadmills, this made me feel safer). Being able to see my stats in real time in front of my face totally optimized the treadmill portion of the workout. So all this new technology sounds great, but what does that mean for the actual workout? I'm not being dramatic when I say it was a total game changer. ![]()
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