Orange afterburn fitness theory put to the test: does it live up to the hype?
Global personal-training franchise claims its ‘oxygen debt’ interval workouts that combine aerobic and weight training can still be effective 36 hours later – but don’t relax and put your feet up just yet
Are all workouts created equal? A global personal-training franchise doesn’t think so. Orangetheory Fitness, based on “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or Epoc, is the latest fitness phenomenon, claiming a 500-plus calorie loss during a one-hour workout, plus an “after burn effect” lasting for up to 36 hours after you walk out of class.
Too good to be true? At least my “fitness fad” radar certainly thought so. But Epoc “oxygen debt” is a real scientific phenomenon which occurs after a hard workout.
Your body takes a while to recover post-workout as it replenishes muscle energy stores, flushes the lactic acid out of your system and repairs muscles. And these processes take oxygen, which takes energy, which – for anyone searching for that extra calorie-crunch – means more calorie burn.
So far, so good. For any time-strapped fitness enthusiast, the claim is appealing: get ripped and fitter in as little time as possible. And with nearly 900 franchises worldwide across seven countries, including the UK, Australia and Japan, its fan base is undeniable. Determined to sift through the hype, I headed to New York’s Orangetheory Fitness studio to find out.
After logging my weight and height, I was handed a heart-rate strap and ushered into the workout room. There I was met with 15 treadmills, eight rowing machines and a workout area with free-weights, TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise) straps and the odd weight machine, all illuminated by an orange light.
