Q. The equipment at the gym displays the total number of calories burned per workout. Is there any way to know what percentage o

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Q. The equipment at the gym displays the total number of calories burned per workout. Is there any way to know what percentage of these are fat calories?

    This can be precisely determined through gas exchange testing. However, as a rule of thumb, for lower to moderate intensity workouts, up to 50% of the calories may be fat calories depending on the individual's muscles ability to burn fat. Training in the lower intensity zones improves the muscle capacity to burn fat during exercise.

    -- Lesley Mettler, CT, AFAA, USATF