A recent article in the NY Times citing a study performed by Amy A. Knab of Appalachian State University that will soon appear in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, shows that exercise at 70 percent of one’s VO2 max can result in a 37 percent increase in calories burned from exercise over 14 hours post exercise.  This study provides more proof that higher intensity exercise can and will provide an increase in post exercise caloric burn (commonly referred to as EPOC or Afterburn).

In the same article, Dr. Bouchard, a scientist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.,  further backs up Knab’s study by confirming that exercising at 70-75% of VO2 max can increase the post exercise caloric burn to at least 300 calories above normal levels and even more when the intensity of the exercise was increased.

The comprehensive exam at the Princeton Longevity Center helps us determine if higher intensity exercise is safe for the patient. Armed with information from the patients stress test, physical screen and scans, we can prescribe the proper exercise intensity to help the patient reach their goals with greater ease. The idea is to exercise frequently at a higher intensity, for a shorter duration, to make it easier to fit the exercise in and increase the results of the training.