Fat-burning during workouts

[mirliluck]

But this one I'm pretty certain of: "fat-burning workouts" are largely a misunderstanding. As I recall, studies showed that low- and medium-intensity workouts burn more fat than high-intensity workouts during the workout. But in total, considering the muscle you build, and the after-effects of the exercise, high-intensity workouts were just as useful for burning fat, it was the total effort (calories out) that counted.

You're right, I think they call it the EPOC effect or something like this. The shorter, high intensity workouts create a significant 'afterburn', plus are touted to have the added benefit of protecting muscle mass better. But I've read that there are benefits to both short high intensity and longer low/medium intensity. I use this to justify my 1.5-2 hour rides, anyway.