What Distance to Sprint to Burn Fat

If you're short on time or just looking for an effective exercise to burn fat without losing muscle mass, sprinting is the way to go. Because of its anaerobic effect and use in interval training, sprinting burns more calories than traditional aerobic conditioning. There isn't a definitive answer to what distance to sprint to burn fat. Rather, you should structure your training to increase your heart rate into the anaerobic zone, concentrating on how long you sprint for instead of how far you go.

  1. Calorie Burn

    • How many calories you'll burn during a sprint depends on how much effort you put into the exercise. Training in the aerobic zone, you'll burn calories at a steady rate, but you won't get an increased metabolic effect following your workout. Running hard enough to put your heart rate at 80 to 90 percent of its maximum pushes you into true sprint training. A 2012 study conducted by researchers in Sydney, Australia found that men who sprinted for an hour per week burned as much fat as those who jogged for seven hours per week.

    Metabolic Effect

    • One of the biggest advantages to sprint training over steady-state cardio is its effect on your metabolism after working out. Sprinting increases oxygen uptake after exercise, causing an endocrine response that speeds up fat utilization, according to the National Council on Strength and Fitness. What this means is you'll still burn calories for an extended period as you go about the rest of your day after a hard sprinting workout.

    Workouts

    • You can structure your sprint workouts based on time or distance, but make sure you push yourself into your anaerobic heart rate zone; otherwise, you're not truly sprinting or getting the benefits of interval training. You can split your sprints up into three 20-minute sessions per week, alternating between high intensity sprints of about eight to 10 seconds and slower recovery rounds of 12 to 15 seconds. If you're going for distance, do five laps around a 400-meter track, sprinting the straightaways and jogging or walking the turns for recovery.

    Considerations

    • If you aren't sprinting with proper technique, you're not going to get the most fat-burning benefits out of your workout. Make sure you land on the balls of your feet, maintain an erect posture and keep your head aligned with your spine throughout your sprint. Sprinting will strengthen your heart, but it will also make it work hard. Speak with your physician before starting up an intense sprint routine to see if you're ready to take it on.