FAT LOSS: RISKS OF HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE

Irrespective of the arguments presented above, there are limitations to the prescription of intensive exercise for overfat people, which make high intensity exercise prescription for fat loss both impractical and irresponsible. Because of the inverse association between body fat and cardiovascular fitness, high intensity activity in people with low cardiovascular efficiency may be potentially dangerous, even fatal. Strenuous exercise is uncomfortable and it may result in overfat people becoming totally disenchanted with physical activity as a fat loss technique. It may also help explain the failure of the fitness industry to attract significant numbers of the almost 1 in 2 people requiring weight control services in Western countries.

A further argument given for high intensity activity is that, given a set period of available time, more vigorous activity provides more ‘bang for the buck’ in terms of body fat utilisation. If the time is extensive enough to allow for adequate fat utilisation, however, a fat unfit person is unlikely to be able to complete an exercise session at a high (e.g. 70-80 per cent V02) level of intensity. Even if it were possible, it is a diminishing effectiveness of response in relation to fat utilisation with longer duration which would defeat the purpose of the exercise. Because exercise at such a high intensity may also be uncomfortable for such a person, he or she is not likely to want to do it on a regular basis, as is necessary for optimal fat loss.

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