Energy balance
Matching the total energy expenditure of exercise bouts reveals that high-intensity aerobic exercise does not result in greater 24-hour energy expenditure or fat oxidation compared to low-intensity exercise.
If your goal is fat loss, focus on the total calories you burn, not just the intensity. This study shows that doing 400 calories of low-intensity cycling burns just as much fat over 24 hours as doing 400 calories of high-intensity cycling. You can choose the intensity that you can sustain consistently without injury or burnout. High intensity is not 'better' for fat oxidation if the total work is the same.
Exercise intensity had no effect on 24-h EE when the energy cost of the exercise bout was matched... Furthermore, low- and high-intensity aerobic exercise, matched for energy expended during exercise, have similar effects on 24-h nutrient oxidation.
Why this rating
Randomized crossover design with whole-room indirect calorimetry (gold standard for EE) and strict dietary controls, though sample size is small (n=16).
Source
Effect of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and nutrient oxidation
Edward L. Melanson et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2002
DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.00706.2001
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