
It’s an increase in oxygen uptake above resting levels that occurs after exercise. Increased oxygen consumption requires energy, so EPOC means that you burn calories even after an exercise bout.
What is EPOC and why does it matter?
What is EPOC? EPOC is the amount of oxygen our body consumes following an exercise session that is above and beyond the pre-exercise oxygen consumption baseline. Our body uses more oxygen after exercise than before exercise, so we burn more calories during our recovery from exercise than we do before exercise.
What is EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption)?
Formally expressed, it is the volume of excess post-exercise oxygen consumed reported in liters or ml/kg. Analysis of EPOC can be used to measure the load of individual training sessions.
How fast does EPOC increase after exercise?
The EPOC effect is greatest soon after the exercise is completed and decays to a lower level over time. One experiment, involving exertion above baseline, found EPOC increasing metabolic rate to an excess level that decays to 13% three hours after exercise, and 4% after 16 hours, for the studied exercise dose.
What is Firstbeat's EPOC prediction algorithm?
Recognizing the importance of EPOC for effective training programming and the limitations posed by laboratory testing, Firstbeat developed an algorithm capable of effectively predicting EPOC already during the ongoing exercise from heart beat data. How Hard Was My Training Session?

What is EPOC and why does it happen?
EPOC (the Afterburn Effect) Defined EPOC refers to the elevation in metabolism (rate that calories are burned) after an exercise session ends. The increased metabolism is linked to increased consumption of oxygen, which is required to help the body restore and return to its pre-exercise state.
How do you explain EPOC?
Also known as oxygen debt, EPOC is the amount of oxygen required to restore your body to its normal, resting level of metabolic function (called homeostasis). It also explains how your body can continue to burn calories long after you've finished your workout.
What exercise causes EPOC?
Through the phosphagen (ATP-PC) and glycolytic pathways, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) stimulates EPOC.
Does EPOC help you lose weight?
Unlike most fitness myths, EPOC is in fact a real effect that contributes to caloric expenditure. However, this doesn't perfectly translate to fat loss… although it can help. The amount of fat you burn ultimate depends on a few factors, like how much fat you have to start with and your metabolism rate.
How many calories do you burn in EPOC?
Again, although every body is different and reacts differently to exercise, the EPOC effect burns roughly six to 15 percent of the total calories burned, Andrew said. So if you burned 200 calories during your workout, you will only burn an extra 12 to 30 calories after the fact.
How long does EPOC last after HIIT?
The EPOC effect for HIIT training lasts for 72 hours plus. In effect, what happens is that we “burn” a certain amount of calories during exercise, but depending on what type of exercise you do, you can extend the caloric burn for hours, on up to days after your exercise session.
How long should EPOC last?
about 12 to 24 hoursEPOC can last up to 48 hours! On average, however, EPOC lasts for about 12 to 24 hours. That means you will continue to burn calories well after your workout is over!
How long does the EPOC effect last?
24 to 48 hoursAlthough some boutique fitness studios promise EPOC lasts 24 to 48 hours after an intense workout, Andrew said it's much shorter than that: one to two hours, tops.
How long does fat burn after exercise?
How Long Does it Last? There have been several studies to determine how many hours EPOC, or afterburn, can last, and the consensus is that the effect peaks in the first hour after exercise and continues for up to 72 hours. That means your body could keep burning extra calories for as long as three days after a workout!
How do you know if you hit EPOC?
What are a few signs of EPOC?Increased heart rate post exercise.Out of breath post exercise.Increased sweating post exercise.Increased appetite post exercise. These are all signs that your body is still working to cool you down, restore your body and create balance again post exercise.
How long does post exercise oxygen consumption last?
Studies have found that the magnitude (amount of elevation in oxygen consumption) and duration (length of time the oxygen consumption is elevated) of EPOC is dependent on the intensity and duration of exercise. It generally takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours for the body to fully recover to a resting state.
Does cardio cause EPOC?
That reward is what we call the afterburn, also known as post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The afterburn refers to the amount of oxygen your body consumes above resting level after your workout....Workout 1: Rolling Interval.TimeIntensity/SpeedRPE5 MinCool down at an easy paceLevel 43 more rows•Oct 18, 2021
What is EPOC quizlet?
EPOC stands for. Excessive Post exercise Oxygen Consumption. EPOC is also referred to as. oxygen debt.
What happens to your breathing during EPOC?
Reynolds & Kravitz (2001) state that the following occur during EPOC: decrease in body temperature, replenishment of energy resources, re-oxygenation of blood and restoration of circulatory hormones, and return to normal heart rate and breathing rate.
How long does EPOC last for?
This depends on how hard you are working during your workout. EPOC can last up to 48 hours! On average, however, EPOC lasts for about 12 to 24 hours. That means you will continue to burn calories well after your workout is over!
What does excess post exercise oxygen?
Wondering what is EPOC, exactly? The acronym stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, and it refers to the increased level of O2 your body consumes and calories it burns in order to recover from working out.
What is an EPOC?
EPOC is a physiological measure that reflects the recovery demand and the disturbance of body’s homeostasis brought by the exercise. Formally expressed, it is the volume of excess post-exercise oxygen consumed reported in liters or ml/kg. Analysis of EPOC can be used to measure the load of individual training sessions.
What is the purpose of EPOC analysis?
Analysis of EPOC can be used to measure the load of individual training sessions. The original method for EPOC measurement involved capturing respiratory gases in laboratory conditions after exercise. While highly informative, the laboratory method was difficult to perform to have broad real-world applicability.
What is EPOC in exercise?
EPOC is accompanied by an elevated consumption of fuel. In response to exercise, fat stores are broken down and free fatty acids (FFA) are released into the blood stream. In recovery, the direct oxidation of free fatty acids as fuel and the energy consuming re-conversion of FFAs back into fat stores both take place.
What is the purpose of EPOC?
Another use of EPOC is to fuel the body’s increased metabolism from the increase in body temperature which occurs during exercise. EPOC is accompanied by an elevated consumption of fuel.
How long does it take for an EPOC to decay?
The EPOC effect is greatest soon after the exercise is completed and decays to a lower level over time. One experiment, involving exertion above baseline, found EPOC increasing metabolic rate to an excess level that decays to 13% three hours after exercise, and 4% after 16 hours, for the studied exercise dose.
Does EPOC affect energy balance?
found considerable contributions of EPOC to total energy expenditure. In their 2004 survey of the relevant literature, Meirelles and Gomes found: "In summary, EPOC resulting from a single resistance exercise session (i.e., many lifts) does not represent a great impact on energy balance; however, its cumulative effect may be relevant". This is echoed by Reynolds and Kravitz in their survey of the literature where they remarked: "the overall weight-control benefits of EPOC, for men and women, from participation in resistance exercise occur over a significant time period, since kilocalories are expended at a low rate in the individual post-exercise sessions."
Does aerobic exercise have an EPOC effect?
Studies show that the EPOC effect exists after both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. In a 1992 Purdue study, results showed that high intensity, anaerobic type exercise result ed in a significantly greater magnitude of EPOC than aerobic exercise of equal work output..
Does EPOC increase with intensity?
The EPOC effect clearly increase s with the intensity of the exercise, and (at least in the case of aerobic exercise, perhaps also for anaerobic) the duration of the exercise. Studies comparing intermittent and continuous exercise consistently show a greater EPOC response for higher intensity, intermittent exercise.

Overview
Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, informally called afterburn) is a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity. In historical contexts the term "oxygen debt" was popularized to explain or perhaps attempt to quantify anaerobic energy expenditure, particularly as regards lactic acid/lactate metabolism; in fact, the term "oxygen debt" is still widely used to this day. However, direct and indirect calorimeter experiments have definitively disprove…
Duration of the effect
The EPOC effect is greatest soon after the exercise is completed and decays to a lower level over time. One experiment, involving exertion above baseline, found EPOC increasing metabolic rate to an excess level that decays to 13% three hours after exercise, and 4% after 16 hours, for the studied exercise dose. Another study, specifically designed to test whether the effect existed for more than 16 hours, conducted tests for 48 hours after the conclusion of the exercise and foun…
Size of the EPOC effect
Studies show that the EPOC effect exists after both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. In a 1992 Purdue study, results showed that high intensity, anaerobic type exercise resulted in a significantly greater magnitude of EPOC than aerobic exercise of equal work output. For exercise regimens of comparable duration and intensity, aerobic exercise burns more calories during the exercise itself, but the difference is partly offset by the higher increase in caloric expenditure tha…
See also
• High-intensity interval training
• Exercise physiology
• Yo-yo effect
Further reading
• Hill, A. V.; Long, C. N. H.; Lupton, H. (1924). "Muscular Exercise, Lactic Acid, and the Supply and Utilisation of Oxygen". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 96 (679): 438–75. doi:10.1098/rspb.1924.0037. JSTOR 81203.
• Laforgia, J.; Withers, R. T.; Gore, C. J. (2006). "Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption". Journal of Sports Sciences. 24 (12): 1247–64. doi:10.1080/02640410600552064. PMID 17101527.
• Hill, A. V.; Long, C. N. H.; Lupton, H. (1924). "Muscular Exercise, Lactic Acid, and the Supply and Utilisation of Oxygen". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 96 (679): 438–75. doi:10.1098/rspb.1924.0037. JSTOR 81203.
• Laforgia, J.; Withers, R. T.; Gore, C. J. (2006). "Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption". Journal of Sports Sciences. 24 (12): 1247–64. doi:10.1080/02640410600552064. PMID 17101527. S2CID 25…