Which is better for losing weight, running fast or running slow?

How to run to burn more calories is one of the common questions runners ask themselves. This is an aerobic sport, ideal for keeping fit and eliminating fat, but, depending on each case, running faster or slower can be decisive if the goal is to lose weight  and burn fat.

Does running fast or slow help you lose weight?

Running at maximum speed is not always the best way to burn all possible calories. The running involves an intense cardiovascular activity that multiple benefits and also involves putting to work all the muscle groups of the body, with special emphasis on forming the lower body. If you run regularly, shedding pounds is guaranteed, but the pace of the race, lighter or slower, influences when it comes to obtaining better results in less time.

In order to answer the question of whether you should run fast or slow to lose weight, a series of considerations must be clear:

1. Since we start an aerobic activity, we begin to expend energy to be able to develop it, but our body only “pulls” on the accumulated fats after at least 20 – 30 minutes from the start of that activity, in this case, the race. In this sense, running slowly for a longer time will be more effective when it comes to losing weight than doing it at full speed for just a few minutes.
2. The level of training is essential to determine if it is better to run slow or fast to lose weight. It must be borne in mind that our body is a perfect machinery, which adapts in a short time to the demands of a certain situation. A beginner running at medium speed will likely expend more calories running at the same pace as someone with a higher level of training. The ideal, therefore, is to start running at a slow-medium pace and only when you verify that that running speed no longer implies weight loss, you should increase it or try to combine the slow pace with high intensity intervals .
3. A few minutes of sprinting requires maximum effort. During these times, your muscles are working hard and will need a longer recovery period than running at a slow pace. A final sprint implies that caloric expenditure will continue once the activity is finished (EPOC period), something that directly affects greater weight loss.

How fast to run to lose more weight?

You have to combine all the exposed variables to establish your best running training pace, determining the speed and its possible changes to get the most out of your effort. If you are a beginner and do not know whether to walk or run to lose weight, start running at a moderate pace until you can run without problems for 30-40 minutes. You will begin to notice an obvious weight loss and only when you detect “stagnation”, modify your training by increasing and changing your speed and stride to achieve greater fat burning.

Running faster or slower depends on multiple factors, from your own build and preferences to your level of strength and endurance. We propose three options for you to lose weight while running.

1. LISS. It is a new way of training applicable to different aerobic sports. In the case of running, it consists of running longer, at least an hour, but at a slow pace, maintaining a constant and uniform level of effort. Burning extra calories is proven.
2. HIIT. It is the training that includes high intensity intervals. It is especially recommended for runners who already have a significant degree of training. The idea is to introduce a few minutes of high speed into a run that alternates slow pace and jog. Learn to improve your sprinting technique, since a final sprint is perfect for prolonging fat burning and weight loss over time.
3. Includes slopes. This option is similar to the previous one but is not based on speed but on the difficulty of the route. To lose more weight while you run, do part of the uphill journey and your caloric expenditure could double in that section.