Exercise Benefits of Incline Training

Applying Exercise Science to Enhance Training Effectiveness on the FreeMotion Fitness™ Incline Trainer

Bioenergetics: The Key to Unlocking Maximally Effective Training

Understanding Bioenergetics and Its Role in Efficient Training: The Path to Optimal Fitness Through Incline Training

The human body functions through the creation of energy in 3 primary energy systems. Each system utilises different energy substrates, produces energy at different rates, and enables different physical activities.

All three systems (ATP-PCr, Glycolytic, and Oxidative) function at the same time; however, the predominant energy system at work is dependent on the rate, or speed, of the activity. An understanding of energy production can be valuable information for exercise professionals in their attempts to prescribe effective, efficient, and specific training programs.

Many individuals begin an exercise program with weight loss and improved cardiovascular fitness as their primary goals. In addition, increased muscular fitness and enhanced physical appearance often rank high on their list of desired outcomes. However, for busy professionals, overextended individuals, or those simply unwilling to spend countless hours at the gym, finding an optimal, time-efficient training method becomes especially crucial.

This search for efficiency and effectiveness begins with an understanding of bioenergetics—the science behind how the body produces and utilizes energy. Ultimately, it leads to incline training on the FreeMotion Fitness® Incline Trainer®, a powerful tool designed to maximize workout results in less time.

To effectively enhance cardiovascular fitness, it’s essential to challenge several key physiological systems. Specifically, the lungs, heart, blood vessels, muscle tissue, mitochondria, and the oxidative energy system must all be subjected to a certain level of stress. This stress, often measured by an increase in heart rate, stimulates improvements in the function and efficiency of one or more of these critical components, leading to better overall cardiovascular performance.

Research has shown that exercise intensities at or above 75% of age-predicted maximal heart rate are needed to stimulate significant improvements in aerobic fitness. Generally, exercisers must speed up their movement pace in order to elicit such a large increase in heart rate.

This increase in speed may increase risk of injury and as seen below, actually decreases the amount of fat utilised during exercise.

The oxidative energy system is unique in its ability to utilize large amounts of fat as a primary energy source. However, for this system to function as the dominant provider of energy, exercise must be performed at a relatively slow and steady pace. This requirement stems from the fact that converting fat into usable energy involves numerous enzyme-driven reactions, which take more time compared to other energy pathways. As a result, the oxidative system is best suited for longer-duration, lower-intensity activities where fat metabolism can occur efficiently.

While a person is walking, the oxidative system is able to provide the majority of energy, resulting in fat being utilised to fuel. As an individual begins to run, caloric expenditure increases due to greater amounts of muscle tissue activated in order to propel the body at a faster speed; however, the rate of

movement requires a gradual shift from reliance on aerobic energy production to greater and greater reliance on anaerobic energy production. Running at faster speeds results in a larger number of calories being burned but those calories are predominantly from carbohydrate stores rather than stored fat. In order to burn larger amounts of fat, the amount of muscle tissue activated must be increased while maintaining a slower pace of movement.

Enter incline training!

Examining Physiological Changes during Treadmill Exercise

“The slower speed can be beneficial to reduce risk of injury during treadmill exercise while still obtaining the needed cardiovascular benefits.”

Research conducted over a decade ago, under the direction of Dr. Matthew Rhea—Director of the RACE Rx Academy of Exercise Sciences—clearly demonstrates the physiological changes that occur when individuals exercise at varying speeds and inclines on the Incline Trainer®. Specifically, this study employed advanced exercise science tools to measure key indicators such as heart rate, oxygen consumption, caloric expenditure, and muscle activation across different workout conditions.

Notably, among a group of 30-year-old adults, walking at 3 mph on a 12% incline produced the same heart rate response as running at 6 mph on a flat surface. Therefore, by choosing a slower speed combined with a steeper incline, individuals can achieve comparable cardiovascular benefits. Furthermore, this approach significantly reduces the risk of injury often associated with higher-speed treadmill workouts—making it an ideal strategy for safer, yet effective, exercise.

EMG measurements, which assess the level of muscle tissue activation, revealed significant changes with the introduction of incline during exercise. At a 0% incline, only about 20% of the leg muscle tissue was activated. However, as the incline increased, so did muscle activity—particularly in the calves, hamstrings, and gluteus muscles. Once the incline surpassed 15%, muscle activation in the legs approached, and in some cases exceeded, 75% of maximal isometric contraction.

Moreover, one of the most noteworthy findings from this research was the shift in fat utilization at slower speeds combined with high inclines. As muscle activation rises with steeper inclines and faster speeds, overall calorie expenditure increases accordingly. This demonstrates how incline training not only enhances muscular engagement but also supports greater energy output and fat-burning potential.

When speed alone is used to increase energy demand, the body increasingly relies on carbohydrates as fuel, as fat utilization takes too long to keep up. However, by incorporating incline to raise the demand while maintaining a moderate speed of 2-3 mph, significant changes in energy metabolism were observed. Physiological measures, including oxygen consumption and respiratory exchange ratio, clearly demonstrated a dramatic increase in fat utilization.

The hypothesis behind this was that slower speeds allowed the body’s fat-burning processes to keep pace with the energy demand. For instance, at a speed of 2 mph with a 16% incline, over 6 calories per minute were burned from fat. In contrast, at a faster speed of 6 mph with a 0% incline, fat utilization was limited to less than 2 calories per minute.

This data clearly demonstrates the heightened physiological demands associated with walking or running on an incline, highlighting several valuable applications for incline training. Specifically, individuals aiming to improve muscular fitness, boost cardiovascular health, or achieve weight loss goals can leverage incline to significantly enhance the effectiveness of their treadmill workouts. Notably, the most pronounced benefits in these areas tend to occur at inclines greater than 10%.

In this context, the FreeMotion Incline Trainer stands out by offering a unique treadmill experience, featuring incline and speed ranges that surpass those of traditional treadmills—making it a powerful tool for achieving more efficient and results-driven training sessions.

Demonstrated Benefits of Incline Training

This research, along with principles of exercise bioenergetics, demonstrates valuable benefits of incline training:

• Increased heart rate and cardiovascular demand without increasing speed to high levels enabling exercisers to increase cardiovascular fitness without increasing risk of treadmill injury.
• Increased muscular demands of walking and running enabling a muscular fitness workout during cardiovascular exercise.
• Increased ability to burn fat through increased muscular activity at a slower speed accelerating weight loss.

FreeMotion Incline Trainers

Do more than walk in a straight line. Step up!

GET ELEVATED RESULTS

Incline training improves fitness faster than working out on flat surfaces. Whether you’re running or walking, training at an incline increases heart rate, muscle activation, and calorie expenditure, all with less perceived exertion and while reducing the impact that leads to injury.

BURN MORE CALORIES

With an industry-leading 30% incline and a -3% decline available at the touch of a button, you can burn more fat calories on the Incline Trainer, with less perceived exertion. With the primary fuel source coming from fat, walking at a 30% incline burns 3.6 times more calories than walking on a flat surface.

Freemotion i10.9b INCLINE TRAINER

Experience ‘What’s Next’ with the new Freemotion SMARTSERIES™ powered by iFIT®. The Freemotion i10.9b Incline Trainer features -3% decline, +30% incline and easy-to-use 1-STEP™ Controls for HIIT training. The console powered by iFIT® goes from simple to interactive when synced with a user’s smart device.

Freemotion i22.9 Incline Trainer

The iFIT-powered Freemotion i22.9 Incline Trainer places your members’ fitness experience at the centre of its design. With a near-limitless library of coach-led training options and live-streaming classes displayed on an impressive 22 in / 55 cm HD touchscreen, the Incline Trainer provides a motivating, interactive, and engaging workout experience that gives participants the ability to build muscle and burn calories faster, with less perceived exertion.