What Is a Fat-Burning Heart Rate?

If you’re trying to lose weight or change your body composition through exercise, you may be advised to stay within a fat-burning heart rate. That usually means doing lower-intensity exercises for longer periods, so your body uses more fat for energy than carbohydrates.

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It’s not the only way to achieve those goals, but it’s popular for a reason: It usually works.

Sports cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD, explains what a fat-burning heart rate is and the best way to calculate it.

What heart rate burns fat?

Your fat-burning heart rate is about 60% to 70% of your max heart rate. When you exercise, your body generates energy from a mix of carbs, sugar and fat. This specific heart rate allows your body to burn a greater percentage of fat than usual.

For many people, their fat-burning heart rate is typically categorized as a zone 2 heart rate, but it may also be considered a zone 1 heart rate for some.

“We typically think of these zones as having lower heart rates. In terms of exercise, zones 1 and 2 are activities with minimal effort,” explains Dr. Singh. “Zone 1 is typically between 50% to 60% of your max heart rate, while zone 2 is about 60% to 70%.”

How to calculate your fat-burning heart rate

The American Heart Association recommends the Fox formula to determine your maximum heart rate. To calculate your fat burn heart rate, you’d have to figure out 60% to 70% of that number.

And while that method can be a good baseline, Dr. Singh says it’s not all that accurate, as it relies solely on your age and doesn’t account for factors like your biological sex or fitness level.

“The gold standard would be to determine your fat-burning heart rate in a lab during a cardiopulmonary exercise test,” she notes. “During this test, we can actually push you to your maximal effort and get you to your maximum heart rate. We can even calculate when you’re transitioning from predominantly burning fat to burning carbohydrates as you start to ramp up the effort.”

Exercises to reach a fat-burning heart rate

Types of zone 2 exercise are usually considered moderate in intensity (as opposed to high-intensity options). Some examples can include:

Walking
Jogging
Cycling
Rowing
Water aerobics

But the types of exercise or activities that burn fat can vary from person to person. One way to think about it? You shouldn’t be working so hard that it becomes difficult for you to carry on a conversation.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mix up your exercise routine.

“Your body is so good at figuring out how to work efficiently without utilizing much energy,” says Dr. Singh. “Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you’ve maximized your ability to utilize as little energy as possible to sustain your effort.”

Dr. Singh recommends increasing your exercise volume, meaning the total amount of exercise you do each week. There are a few ways you can do this, including:

Working out more often
Exercising for longer periods
Increasing the distance you travel
Upping exercise intensity (how hard you work during each session)

“I would change only one of those variables at a time to help prevent overtraining or injury,” cautions Dr. Singh. “If you change one of those up, then you’ll start to see your body responding to this new stimulus.”

How to easily track your heart rate

There are a few ways you can track your heart rate:

Your fingers: This method doesn’t cost anything. Place a finger on one of your pulse points (found on your neck, wrist or chest) and then count how many times your heart beats in 60 seconds.
A wrist monitor: Many smart watches or fitness trackers contain software that can track and calculate your heart rate. One thing to consider? “The heart rate data that comes from a wrist monitor or smart watch will have a short delay because it’s a little further from your heart,” says Dr. Singh.
A chest strap monitor: This option, which is secured around your chest, tends to be the most accurate, as it’s closer to your heart.

Key takeaways

While working out at your fat-burning heart rate can help you lose weight, Dr. Singh says it should be just one part of your wellness goals.

“Don’t just target burning fat, target being well-rounded in your fitness journey,” she concludes. “Strength training is a great complement to cardio. Different stimuli will lead to different gains, but all of them, cumulatively, will help you be as healthy as possible.”