It has been recognized that facilitation of fat metabolism is important for both performance and the health-related aspects of exercise. Although several studies have described the relationship between exercise intensity and fat oxidation, few studies have studied this relationship over a wide range of intensities. In absolute terms, carbohydrate oxidation will increase proportionally with exercise intensity, whereas the rate of fat oxidation will initially increase but will decrease again at high exercise intensities. Here we have defined the exercise intensity at which maximal fat oxidation is observed as Fatmax. This exercise intensity may have importance for weight loss programs, health-related exercise programs, and endurance training. Future research should focus on developing an exercise test with which Fatmax can be accurately determined. Further research should investigate the efficacy of training at Fatmax in a variety of conditions.
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