One hot button term that is being used a lot in the fitness world is EPOC. Why the sudden rage over this acronym? If you have been struggling for months or years to lose fat, EPOC may just be your answer. Studies show just how effective maximizing your EPOC levels can be for fat loss and weight management. Let’s take a look at what EPOC is and how you can take advantage of it to achieve your goal weight.

What is EPOC?

Short for Excess Post Oxygen Consumption, EPOC is the term used to describe how much oxygen your body must replenish in order to reach normal levels. When you exercise, your body is using a large amount of oxygen to sustain normal processes AND support the extra physical exertion. The amount of oxygen you’re using while working out is far above normal levels. The harder you exercise, the more intense your workout, the more oxygen your body is using.

At that rate, your body starts to enter an oxygen debt. That means it’s using far more than what your body has in the blood. Once you finish your workout, your body must continue working to replenish the lost oxygen in order to achieve a balance known as homeostasis.

EPOC and Calorie Burning

With your body hard at work to restore oxygen levels, it continues to use energy. Where does it get this extra energy? Your body will break down, or burn, calories in order to get the extra work done. As we mentioned above, the more intense your workout, the more oxygen your body needs to replenish. If your body has a large oxygen debt, it will require many calories to pay back that debt. That’s great news for you as your body will keep burning calories for HOURS after you finish exercising.

Best Ways to Maximize EPOC

Here are 3 effective and proven ways to make the most of the EPOC after burn:

3. Hit the Weights

• If you tend to stick to cardio, then you need to incorporate more weight lifting into your routine. Weight lifting is an excellent way to increase your EPOC levels for maximum calorie burning.

2. Try H.I.I.T.

• Known as High Intensity Interval Training, H.I.I.T. involves taking several bodyweight based exercises and performing them at maximum effort without a break. The intensity is through the roof, triggering a huge spike in your EPOC levels. These workouts are also great time savers.

1. Wear a Sauna Suit

• The Kutting Weight sauna suit has been shown in several studies to be an easy and effective way to boost your EPOC levels. One study conducted by Dr. Lance Dalleck showed that subjects wearing the Kutting Weight neoprene weight loss sauna suit experienced an increase in EPOC by up to 22%. The sauna suit was also shown to increase caloric burn and result in an overall greater weight loss by up to 40%.

You can read more about EPOC and its role in weight loss here.

Tell Us What You Think! 

Have you tried any of these suggestions to boost your EPOC?

What were the results?

Let us know in the comments below!

Dalleck, Lance. (2015) “Acute Benefits of Exercise with the Kutting Weight® Sauna Suit: Technical Report” Gunnison, CO. Western State Colorado University.

Dalleck, Lance. (2015) “Chronic Health and Performance Benefits of Exercise with the Kutting Weight® Sauna Suit: Technical Report” Gunnison, CO. Western State Colorado University.