The Biggest Loser

They probably do a ton of it (endurance training), likely most of their training is aerobic.  It just makes for some really boring TV.  Who wants to watch people walk/jog for 2 hours? Watching out of shape people do sprints and throw weights around is much more entertaining.

I guess NBC is not PBS -- had a show and showed the people bodies before andd after they ran  marathon. Almost all of them were overweight and had never ran before.  IT was only interesting to people like me who care about the difference of slow twitch and fast twitch muscles.

Because weight circuit training combined with cardio is one of the fastest ways to weight loss.

And since the show is all about losing as much as possible as fast as possible in the 10 - 14 day stretch (it is never actually a week) and they are already pushing themselves into dehydration on scale days, they need to burn as much as they can as fast as they can.

And that ain't through endurance sports.

What you don't see on the show, is that they have "homework" that they have to do without their traininer. Usually that is X amount of cardio per day. As in HOURS of cardio everyday. I once heard a reference to 3 hours worth of "homework" on the show.

So they are, but they can do that without the trainers and the cameras there.... because it is boring for TV.

They used to show a lot more of the cardio stuff; walking up the hills, jogging around the ranch, etc. They spend more time now doing the dramatic interpersonal stuff, not to mention all the "commercials" within the show for jell-o, ziploc, subway, etc. They really tend to only show the "last chance" workouts much, and I think that is for the extra pain and whining (for fun, count how many times they say "last chance" during that segment).

PS: Vicky must go

 That's a bit of a myth.  Yes, there is a fat burning "zone" but burning fat vs carbs makes very little difference as long as you burn the same number of Calories without changing the amount you consume.  If you have to chug a sportsdrink/gel/powerbar in order to run faster, then yes, slower is more effective.  Strength training builds muscle, which raises your basal metabolic rate as muscle consumes energy, even when at rest.  Yes, these people are working out about 4.5 hours a day and most of it is very, very boring work.  Strength training, plyometrics, balance drills and yoga provide variety for both the viewer and the participants.

I think you're right on with this.  No weight loss plan is complete without some weight training, IMHO.

a Myth?  Sorry, your body 100%, without a doubt, burns fat for energy in lower zones.

 whether or not that results in more weight loss was not my point.  the question was why do they not do enurance training on the biggest loser.  I said, I dont know, but it may have to do with the FACT that the human body burns fat for energy at lower zones.  this is a fact. proven with science.

 whether or not the biggest loser uses this as a strategy, well you would have to ask them. 

 I agree, the "fat burning zone" does exist.  I don't think it's useful but I didn't dispute it's existence although it's more of a continuum rather than a sudden shift at a specific speed. Move slowly and a greater percentage of energy comes from fatty acids in your blood stream (which come from fat being broken down either in your digestive system or your fat stores.)  As you speed up, more and more energy comes from the glycogen stored in your muscles and liver.

 The cardio work is not shown because it's boring to all but endurance athletes.  That's why Ironman is not televised live on ESPN.  It's boring.  Weight lifting, kick boxing, sprinting and trainers berating the contestants is exciting.  Cardio work, especially running is effective at burning Calories fast and they do do it.  They do not drink sports drinks or recovery drinks or take gels, clifbars, or shotblocks as they defeat the purpose of the cardio work.  Water only plus a Calorie restricted diet.  

Here's an interesting study that indicates the fat burn zone may not be scientifically accurate:
 

http://www.cbass.com/FATBURN.HTM  

I'm sure others can find studies that say the exact opposite. One thing to be careful of is the difference between "percent" fat loss vs "actual" fat loss. For example, running a 6 minute mile for one hour burns 1126 calories for someone weighing 155 pounds (source ). Running a 9 minute mile burns 774 calories. I can't find the exact reference, but I believe the fat burning percent is relatively close; like 60% for the anaerobic, and 70% for aerobic; but for sake of argument let's make it more drastic; and go 60% vs. 80%. The 6 minute miler thus burns 675 fat calories; and the 9 minute miler burns 619 fat calories. If however, your choice is to go run hard for 30 minutes, or run a bit slower and go for 1 1/2 hours; now you are going to obviously burn up more fat on the longer run.

All that said, if you really watch BL closely; you find that eating properly and with the right portions is just as important (maybe more so) than the exercise. There's always people that are injured and can't do much working out, but still post big weight losses. That 600 fat calories from the example above can be gone in an instant with one bad meal or snack. 

Clarence Bass knows his stuff, but for me when I lowered my intensity of cardio it was then when I started to shed bodyfat. Most of the contestants on Biggest Loser cannot run,yet.  It is also hard to say what type of weightlifting they are doing,high or low reps.