What is LISS Cardio?
Low intensity, steady-state cardio means exactly that; working for prolonged periods of time at 60-75% of your MHR rate. This is known as the aerobic training threshold; where sufficient oxygen is available for a muscle to function without using glucose as an energy source.
In the aerobic threshold, fat is oxidised and used as a primary energy source. This makes fasted LISS cardio favourable with many athletes, as adipose (fat) stores in the body are used for energy.
Many athletes also choose to use shorter periods of LISS as a form of active recovery; pumping nutrient-rich blood to muscle tissue.
LISS Calorie Expenditure
Calorie expenditure during LISS is significantly lower than during HIIT on a per-minute basis; however, whereas HIIT requires resting periods at a lower heart rate, LISS can be performed at a consistent level with a calorie expenditure of roughly 10kcal per minute depending on the person.Two major issues with LISS are:
A) It can become incredibly tedious, especially with low energy levels whilst dieting.
B) It actually takes a significant amount of discipline for athletes to remain within the low intensity training threshold. Increasing intensity and crossing over training thresholds can begin to cause catabolism, especially if muscle and liver stores are depleted of glycogen.
LISS & Carbs
As we’ve discussed, LISS cardio results in fat being used as a primary energy source, making it an incredibly effective tool whilst implementing low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet and other ketosis-based diets.Article by Andy Robinson
Bibliography
(1, 2) Layne E. Norton(3, 4) Wilson, et al. Concurrent Training: A Meta Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise. University of Tampa, FL. J Strength Conditioning.
(5) Naito, et al. Satellite cell pool enhancement in rat plantaris muscle by endurance training depends on intensity rather than duration. Juntendo University, Japan. Acta Physiologica. 2011 Oct.
