Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kiel DiGiovanni, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
Not all fat is created equal, and while any excess can be unhealthy, a type known as visceral fat is especially dangerous. Visceral fat lies deep under your skin and surrounds your organs and intestines. While some visceral fat is good, having too much is one of the primary causes of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer. In other words, for health concerns, visceral fat should be your primary target when losing fat. In this post I'll give you my best tips to target visceral fat.
What Is Visceral Fat?
When we examine the types of body fat in the human body, we group it into two types: visceral and subcutaneous. Subcutaneous fat sits just under the skin under the dermis layer. It plays multiple roles, such as:
- Energy storage
- Provides warmth
- Protects the body
On the other hand, we have visceral fat. Visceral fat is a type of fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity and surrounds internal organs such as the liver and pancreas. Similar to subcutaneous fat, some visceral fat is a good thing. However, while an excess of subcutaneous fat is also related to health issues, there's a stronger association with visceral fat.
Over the years, we have learned a lot about fat, and we now understand that it's much more than just a place to store energy and keep us warm. In fact, most researchers now view fat as an endocrine organ, as it releases many different types of hormones and compounds.¹
Unfortunately, many of the hormones secreted from visceral fat are harmful. For example, a protein known as a "cytokine" can cause low-grade inflammation. Another example is Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and unstable angina.
Some of the health conditions that are associated with a higher amount of visceral fat are;
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Some types of cancers
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Even Alzheimers!
Due to its association with these health issues, researchers encourage targeting visceral fat when losing weight.
That's great. It's like when a life coach tells you to secure your future by making more money. How do you do that!?
7 Top Tips To Burn Visceral Fat
Let's get right to it. We will show you some of the best ways you can adjust your training and diet to maximize the burn of visceral fat.
Before we start, we want to state that you can use these habits to target visceral fat loss (or try to) specifically. What we mean is that you can do them in conjunction with a weight loss program.
- Get into a 300-500 caloric deficit
- Strength train at least 2 times a week
- Increase daily activity (NEAT) and try to hit at least 10,000 steps a day
- Increase protein intake (2g/kg+) and spread out over 4-5 feedings.
Further, we are definitely not saying this will burn 100% visceral fat. Instead, these methods are backed by research demonstrating effectiveness at burning a significantly higher percentage of visceral fat.
1. High Intensity Intervals
Just about all types of weight loss strategies will have a net positive effect on losing visceral fat. However, when you want to get rid of it sooner, one strategy seems to have a larger effect than others: high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Multiple studies have demonstrated that high-intensity exercise yields greater results when comparing absolute loss of visceral fat. The good thing is that it doesn't really seem to matter exactly what protocol you use as long as you're working intervals that are greater than 90% VO2 max, which is about 95% heart rate, depending on the person.²
This study used 5 groups of trainees who followed different exercise methods over a 12-week program and examined how this affected visceral fat loss. The 5 methods were;
- All-out sprint interval training (SIT) (All-out)
- Supramaximal SIT (120% O2peak)
- High-intensity interval training (90% O2peak)
- Moderate-intensity continuous training (60% O2peak)
- No training
At the end of the 12 weeks, all four intervention groups produced similar losses in whole-body fat. However, what's interesting is that the three different high-intensity interval workouts caused significantly greater visceral fat loss in the abdominal region compared to the moderate-intensity training protocol. This suggests that high-intensity doesn't produce more fat loss; rather, it encourages the loss of visceral fat (>15 cm2 vs. 3 cm2).
This tells us that you should include some type of interval training in your overall program. Of the protocols, the all-out sprint interval training was the most time-efficient.
2. RUN!!!!!
We know some of you are sighing right now, but we're just telling you what the research says! When performing HIIT, running seems to produce greater losses in visceral fat compared with cycling!³
This large meta-analysis looked at 39 studies that utilized various interval protocols using either running, cycling, or both. What's interesting is that both resulted in significant whole-body fat loss. However, only running produced significant losses in visceral fat, while cycling showed a trend.⁴
Researchers aren't exactly sure why this occurs, so they still need more research, but you might want to throw in some sprints at the end of your training!
3. Include Resistance Training
Most people automatically think of aerobic training as a way to burn fat. This works and definitely plays a part. However, you should also include progressive resistance training to combat visceral fat. This brings several unique benefits.
For one, researchers have tested which is more effective at burning visceral fat: aerobic or resistance training. Some studies have shown mixed results but suggest aerobic is better.⁵ However, it doesn't matter because it appears that using both is more effective than doing either one in isolation!
You may have heard us talk about this phenomenon about other adaptations: a fascination with arguing, "Which is better?" While we understand the sentiment, more often than not, the answer is both!
Further, building muscle will help improve your insulin sensitivity and glucose intake; this can help combat any type of insulin resistance caused by visceral fat. What is fascinating, if not frightening, is that researchers now know that people who are at "healthy weights" on the scale can still be at high risk of developing insulin resistance and diabetes.⁶
The reason is that the muscles do the majority of glucose uptake, so when you have low levels of muscle mass, that glucose has nowhere to go. Therefore, get in the weight room and put on muscle.
4. Fasting
We want to note again that none of the advice in this article will help with fat loss, let alone visceral fat loss if you're not in a caloric deficit and eating a healthy diet.
That said, there seems to be evidence that fasting can increase visceral fat loss. However, there's a key point that must be used in conjunction with fasting, and it's not energy output. Well, energy output definitely plays a role. However, many studies that have looked at fasting vs. calorie restriction in terms of visceral fat burn have shown negligible results. So what's the key?
In 2022, an 8-week study was conducted that compared the visceral fat loss of a group following calorie restriction and a group following fasting. Specifically, there were two fasting groups, resulting in three groups in total.
- Fasting 1: One fasting day a week of 36 hours with 400cals/day + 6 days of normal eating with a diet of 35% protein that was paced out 4-5 times throughout the day
- Fasting 2: Two fasting days a week totaling 60 hours with 500 calories/day + 5 days of normal diet with 35% protein paced out 4-5 times throughout the day.
- Calorie restriction: Caloric-equated diet that consisted of 21% protein.
At the end of the 8 weeks, all groups saw significant losses in total and visceral fat loss. However, unlike previous studies, the intermittent fasting protocols did show more remarkable results, including;
- Total weight loss: (Fasting −9% vs. Calorie Restriction −5%)
- Total fat loss: (Fasting −16% vs. −9%)
- Total visceral fat loss: (Fasting −33% vs. −14%)
The researchers suggest this was due to the high protein intake and its pacing. Therefore, increase your protein intake and spread it out between 4-5 meals throughout the day. When asking how much, the above study used 35% of total calories.⁷
So, let's assume you need to eat 2,500 calories. This means you'd want 35% to be from protein, resulting in;
- 2,500 X 35% = 875 calories.
We also know that there are 4 calories in 1 gram of protein, meaning you'd need to eat;
- 875/4 = 218 grams
From here, you'd want to space that out evenly over 4-5 meals, meaning you'd need to eat around 40-45g of protein five times.
Related: 3 Day Fast Guide
5. Control Stress And Get More Sleep
We will combine getting more sleep with controlling your stress, as they're interconnected. Both have been found to influence visceral fat accumulation and can influence each other!
One of the primary mechanisms by which stress can increase visceral fat is the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is your body's "stress hormone" and one of the "fight-or-flight" hormones. When the body is under elevated stress, cortisol is released, which controls blood sugar and metabolism. Further, it slows unnecessary body functions until the stress is gone and even encourages fat storage.
Like many processes, cortisol is beneficial under the right circumstances and for a short duration. However, prolonged stress consistently elevates certain hormones, blood sugar, and blood pressure, along with slowing metabolism. More importantly, it promotes the storage of fat around the waist. Numerous studies have shown that heightened levels of circulating cortisol and cortisol production rates are associated with visceral fat but not subcutaneous fat.⁸
Researchers have even found that when individuals of healthy weight experience constant stress and elevated cortisol levels, they still tend to have a higher amount of belly fat.⁹ Other large metals have come to this same conclusion and suggest stress plays a much larger role in fat loss than previously thought.¹⁰
There are many ways to control stress, and everyone is dealing with different stressors. However, one that affects everyone is sleep! The importance of sleep can't be overstated, it's very difficult not to be stressed when you're exhausted. At the same time, sleep of shorter durations has been associated with higher visceral fat levels. This review of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that this relation rose up until 8 hours of sleep.¹¹
We know life is crazy, and "lower your stress" is much easier said than done. However, do what you need to do. Find a hobby, exercise (definitely exercise!), give yourself downtime, and sleep!
Related: Best Sleep Routine
6. Minimize Processed Food & Cut Out Ultra-Processed Foods
Processed and ultra-processed foods have become essential talking points recently, for good reason: they're bad news. Now, it is important to point out that there is a spectrum, so not every single processed food is horrible for you. However, they're not the best choice. At the same time, every ultra-processed food is terrible for you.
As you can imagine, ultra-processed foods have been found to strongly correlate with the accumulation of belly fat. It's suggested that a 10% increase in ultra-processed foods causes a significant increase in abdominal visceral fat; in other words, the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the more visceral fat.
Let's be honest. There are a slew of reasons to minimize the amount of ultra-processed foods in your diet, and gaining more visceral fat is just another one.
7. Find Training That You Can Adhere To
This is really important, as we can sometimes get too caught up in what is mechanistically better and forget about real life. What we mean is that it doesn't necessarily matter if exercise A is better than exercise B at getting rid of visceral fat if you hate exercise A and love exercise B.
Often, in terms of fitness and health, any advantages that may exist in the short term tend to become less pronounced over the long term. In other words, finding a form of exercise you enjoy and can adhere to for the rest of your life will likely be the better option.
An interesting study followed five groups of people for a year who had recently lost a significant amount of weight, about 12kg. The goal was to examine the regain of visceral fat.
- People who adhered to a year of aerobic training (aerobic adherers)
- People who stop aerobic training (aerobic nonadherence)
- People who adhered to a year of resistance training (resistance adherers)
- People who stopped resistance training (resistance nonadherence)
- No exercise
After a year, the research found that the two groups that adhered to aerobic or resistance training saw similar results in loss of visceral fat. More importantly, both were significantly more advantageous than the other three groups.¹²
The primary point is that you eventually need to find an exercise regime you can maintain throughout your life. Still, this might mean that you alter between different training styles; many people may weight train for a year, then train in bodybuilding, and then maybe Crossfit. After that, they may try cycling. The point is that staying active is the key in the long run for general health and maintaining low visceral fat levels.
Burning Visceral Fat: The Bottom Line
Losing weight is much more important than just aesthetics. Excess weight can cause a slew of health issues, with the type of fat influencing this effect. Your best tool for staying healthy is to eat a balanced diet and partake in an effective training program that contains both conditioning and resistance training. Once you have laid out your foundations, you can modify your program to target visceral fat. Follow the tips in this article to help burn visceral fat and build a healthier body.
If you're serious about shedding some extra pounds then give our SFS Fat Loss Program a try, it comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!
References
- Coelho, Marisa, et al. “State of the Art Paper Biochemistry of Adipose Tissue: An Endocrine Organ.” Archives of Medical Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 191–200, https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms.2013.33181.
- Zhang, Haifeng, et al. “Exercise Training‐Induced Visceral Fat Loss in Obese Women: The Role of Training Intensity and Modality.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 4 Sept. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13803.
- Couvert, Annaëlle & Goumy, Leslie & Maillard, Florie & Esbrat, Alexandre & Lanchais, Kassandra & Saugrain, Célia & Verdier, Charlotte & Doré, Eric & Chevarin, Caroline & Adjtoutah, Djamel & Morel, Claire & Pereira, Bruno & Martin, Vincent & Lancha, Antonio & Barnich, Nicolas & Chassaing, Benoit & Rance, Mélanie & Boisseau, Nathalie. (2024). Effects of a Cycling versus Running HIIT Program on Fat Mass Loss and Gut Microbiota Composition in Men with Overweight/Obesity A C C E P T E D. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 56. 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003376.
- Maillard, Florie, et al. “Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Total, Abdominal and Visceral Fat Mass: A Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 48, no. 2, 10 Nov. 2017, pp. 269–288, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0807-y.
- Waters, Debra L, et al. “Effect of Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, on Intermuscular and Visceral Fat and Physical and Metabolic Function in Older Adults with Obesity While Dieting.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 11 Apr. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab111.
- Merz, Karla E., and Debbie C. Thurmond. “Role of Skeletal Muscle in Insulin Resistance and Glucose Uptake.” Comprehensive Physiology, vol. 10, no. 3, 8 July 2020, pp. 785–809, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074531/, https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c190029.
- Arciero, Paul J., et al. “Intermittent Fasting and Protein Pacing Are Superior to Caloric Restriction for Weight and Visceral Fat Loss.” Obesity, 27 Dec. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23660.
- Purnell, Jonathan Q., et al. “Enhanced Cortisol Production Rates, Free Cortisol, and 11β-HSD-1 Expression Correlate with Visceral Fat and Insulin Resistance in Men: Effect of Weight Loss.” American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 296, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2009, pp. E351–E357, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645022/, https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.90769.2008.
- Epel, Elissa S., et al. “Stress and Body Shape: Stress-Induced Cortisol Secretion Is Consistently Greater among Women with Central Fat.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 62, no. 5, 1 Sept. 2000, p. 623, journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/Abstract/2000/09000/Stress_and_Body_Shape__Stress_Induced_Cortisol.5.aspx.
- van der Valk, Eline S., et al. “Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals?” Current Obesity Reports, vol. 7, no. 2, 16 Apr. 2018, pp. 193–203, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5958156/, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0306-y.
- Giannos, Panagiotis, et al. “Shorter Sleep Duration Is Associated with Greater Visceral Fat Mass in US Adults: Findings from NHANES, 2011–2014.” Sleep Medicine, Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.013.
- Hunter, Gary R., et al. “Exercise Training Prevents Regain of Visceral Fat for 1 Year Following Weight Loss.” Obesity, vol. 18, no. 4, 8 Oct. 2009, pp. 690–695, https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.316. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.
Garett Reid
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