While there is no clear cut evidence that doing cardiovascular training, as part of a healthy weight loss program, first thing in the morning has any more fat burning benefit than at any other time of day, there appears to be some evidence suggesting that you can burn more stored fat by doing cardiovascular training prior to eating carbohydrates.

The reasons for this include:

• Glycogen depletion due to fasting for 7-8 hours. As a result, the body will use stored fat as fuel.
• Fasting prior to exercise creates a state where more fat is mobilized as a result of low insulin levels.
• Less glucose in the blood results in greater fat burning capability.
• Exercise immediately following eating will result in burning off the most recent calories as opposed to the stored calories.
• Morning cardiovascular exercise raises your metabolism for longer periods of time.

In addition to the time of day, the intensity of the exercise seems to have a role in optimal fat burning . According to numerous sources, the optimum fat burning intensity for cardiovascular exercise is to maintain your heart rate between 60 and 75% of your maximum heart rate for your age. To quickly arrive at your maximum heart rate, simply use the formula 220 - your age. You would then multiply your answer by .6 for the lower range of your heart rate and .75 for the upper range.It is within this heart rate range that optimum fat burning occurs.

Done together, maintaining your heart rate in an optimum fat burning zone and perfoming cardiovascular exercise prior to eating will accelerate your fat burning capabilities.

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