How does the body choose between burning fat or muscle

[BWhitaker]

When the body is in a negative calorie balance, it has to get its calories from somewhere. So it has fat and muscle to choose from. But how does the body decide on when one to choose.

[caseylee]

i think it depends on your hr, not sure, does anyone else know

[jbigdog69]

It is discussed here>>>> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/losefatnow.htm

[BWhitaker]

wow i feel like im a physiology major now!!! Thanks jbigdog69. Anyone else have anything a little less complex lol!

[BWhitaker]

I skimmed over it, and it does help one understand how fat loss works. However, i didnt really see anywhere that explained how the body discriminates choosing to burn muscle or fat. Like what are the factors that the body uses to say "ok we are going to burn fat" or "man, lets burn some of that muscle instead"

[BWhitaker]

ok, i realized that there are four parts to that. Maybe it is covered in there. ANy other help is greatly appreciated.

[SwoleCat]

Burning fat is done by cardio for lipolysis, or diets where there are no carbs at all, and fats are used for energy (CKD).

The ratios of macronutrients usually dictate muscle/fat loss. Those with equal reductions in all areas usually make the person a "smaller, just as fat person". Losing same amount of muscle and fat, therefore having the same body composition. This is the Body For Life approach, which works if you are very over-weight, yes, but at that point, nearly ANYTHING better than what you are doing would work.

Utilizing no slin spikes, cardio for fat loss (NOT HIIT), healthy EFA's, and a few key supplements, you can force your body to burn only fat, and preserve lean mass.

My motto is "Macros Do Matter!"

~SC~

[Spoon]

Burning fat is done by cardio for lipolysis, or diets where there are no carbs at all, and fats are used for energy (CKD).

The ratios of macronutrients usually dictate muscle/fat loss. Those with equal reductions in all areas usually make the person a "smaller, just as fat person". Losing same amount of muscle and fat, therefore having the same body composition. This is the Body For Life approach, which works if you are very over-weight, yes, but at that point, nearly ANYTHING better than what you are doing would work.

Utilizing no slin spikes, cardio for fat loss (NOT HIIT), healthy EFA's, and a few key supplements, you can force your body to burn only fat, and preserve lean mass.

My motto is "



~SC~

hey swole, what are your macros? since im bulking my carbs are going thru the roof.

Spoon

[BWhitaker]

Yeah i would have to agree with the macros thing.

One last question--does one's body wish to use fat over muscle and it is just in times when it must that it will use muscle (such as large calorie deficit, high insulin spike, minimal protein,etc).

[SwoleCat]

Yeah, if your amounts are in the correct ratio of fats to protein (have to experiment w/this), you have carbs where they can assist you, and you do the right types of cardio/weight training.

~SC~

[Beernutz]

dont quote me on this but i did read somewhere that your body will burn fat instead of muscle when you perform light cardio where your not huffing and puffing and your heart rate stays in the range of 5 seconds= 12-15 beats. If you wanna burn fat not muscle make sure your able to carry on a conversation while doing cardio cuz if your breathing too heavy youll burn muscle over fat....thats just what i read maybe someone had verify that before you take it in to consideration...

[SwoleCat]

Yeah, that's cardio at 65-75% of MHR.

Just as I've employed/recommended for years.

~SC~

[jbigdog69]

Maybe this will help!!! The other link I gave you stresses the importance of protein intake. So in other words....eat a lot of protein to prevent muscle loss....and monitor your aerobic training.....
Aerobic training and strength training are the yin and yang of the exercise world. They are two fundamentally different concepts that meet in a "harmony of opposites."
To be clear, aerobics implies low intensity, long duration exercise that is intended to expend calories and burn fat. "Cardio" is something different; it refers to strengthening the heart muscle. Many people use "cardio" and "aerobics" interchangeably, but as is evident, that's incorrect.

Aerobic training is low intensity. Strength training is high intensity. Combining the two into one effective, efficient training regimen can be greatly simplified by using rational training principles.

the biggest mistake



The biggest mistake guys make when trying to combine aerobic training with strength training is that they employ a progressive overload methodology to their aerobic training. For example, they start out by walking a few days per week, then they increase the intensity to jogging, then they mix intervals of jogging with running. Then they run hills, and so on.

That method increases intensity to the point where the body needs extended recovery time, which means more days off without training. In turn, fewer calories are burned and less fat is lost. The key to effective aerobic training that burns a maximal amount of fat is long-term consistency.

pop quiz



Which burns more calories?

A) Running 1 mile
B) Jogging 1 mile
C) Walking 1 mile

It's a trick question. They all burn exactly the same number of calories. And in that little fact lays some truly great news... If you go for a walk seven days a week, you will burn more calories than going for a run six days a week. (Technically, a runner will get an extra benefit because his metabolism will continue to operate more quickly after running... but there is another piece of information that trumps that.)

build muscle & burn fat 24/7



Muscle is called "active tissue" because it requires a lot of energy to maintain itself. In fact, every pound of new muscle you add to your body will burn about 60 calories per day. That can really add up. Look at the chart below:

The Fat Burning Effect of Muscle

Pounds of New Muscle Pounds of fat burned
per month Pounds of fat burned
per year
1 0.5 6
3 1.5 19
5 2.6 31
10 5.1 62
12 6.2 74
15 7.7 93
20 10.3 123


By adding just 10 pounds of muscle to your body, it will burn off 62 pounds of fat over the next year! And it will keep burning those extra calories year after year. That means that when you've lost the fat, you can eat a lot more and not gain back the fat. Also, with less fat and more muscle, your body will have the lean, toned, fit look that every man aspires to.

So by combining aerobics with strength training, you can transform your body in the shortest possible time, and keep it lean and muscular year round without starving yourself on a low-calorie diet.

Here's a schedule that'll help you gain the most muscle and lose the most fat
opposite principles



The important characteristics of a sustainable aerobic training program are:

1- Low intensity muscular output
2- No progression of intensity from workout to workout
3- Fixed frequency

The important characteristics of a sustainable strength training program are:

1- High intensity muscular output
2- Progressive intensity from workout to workout
3- Variable frequency (to allow for full recovery as intensity increases)

So combining a high intensity strength training system such as Static Contraction Training (SCT) with a regular aerobic program might look like this for the first two months:

SCT/Aerobic Training Schedule

Day of Week Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Monday SCT Walk Walk Walk
Tuesday Walk SCT Walk Walk
Wednesday Walk Walk Walk SCT
Thursday SCT Walk SCT Walk
Friday Walk Walk Walk Walk
Saturday Walk SCT Walk Walk


SCT/Aerobic Training Schedule

Day of Week Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8
Monday Walk SCT SCT SCT
Tuesday SCT Walk Walk Walk
Wednesday Walk Walk Walk Walk
Thursday Walk Walk Walk Walk
Friday Walk Walk Walk Walk
Saturday Walk Walk Walk Walk


Notice how the days off between the SCT workouts increase? That's because each workout (if properly engineered) involves lifting heavier weights and creates extra demands on your body's recovery system.

You can fill in every other day with low intensity, longer duration aerobic training. So every day you are doing something to burn fat and keep it off long-term!

This combined aerobic/strength training program will maximize the transformation of your body in the shortest possible time.

Until next time, train smart!

[daman1]

I just do a fast paced walk with a slight incline and that gets me to around 65-70%