Burn Fat EfficientlyBurn Fat and Decrease Body Fat Percentage
Burn belly fat and Decrease body fat percentage efficiently by exercising. This article is intended to help you grasp a better understanding of the fuel we use during exercise and why it is important to understand what happens inside your body when you exercise. Whether fat or carbohydrate is used as a primary fuel during exercise is determined by several factors which include diet, intensity and duration of exercise. Protein metabolism play minimal role in exercise as it only contributes about 2% but can be as high as 10-20% during prolonged exercise (3-5hrs).
Instructions70%). As exercise intensity increase their is a shift in carbohydrate metabolism and decrease in fat known as the "crossover" concept. There are two factors that influence this change in fuel selection. One, is the recruitment of fast twitch fiber and two is the increased blood levels of epinephrine.
2. USE EXERCISE DURATION TO CONTROL FUEL SELECTION - There is a gradual shift from carbohydrate metabolism to fat during prolonged, low-intense exercise (>30min). Fat metabolism is regulated by many variables that control the rate of fat oxidation. These include the hormones Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Glucagon. During low intense exercise greater than 30min, blood levels of epinephrine rise which promotes fat metabolism. However this is a slow process, that is why it usually occurs after several min of exercise. Another important point to consider is that the total rate of fat oxidation during exercise is greatest at higher exercise intensities that are below lactate threshold. For example, Even though you burn a higher percent of fat during exercising at 20% of V02 max (60% of total energy coming from fat) than at 50%, which only accounts for 40% of total energy from fat. The total energy expenditure is 2.5 times greater at 50% intensity than at 20% intensity. That is about 33% more calories burn in the same amount of time, just different intensities. Choosing the right intensity and duration is crucial if your goal is to decrease body fat.
3. UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF BURNING FAT - Carbohydrates is stored as glycogen in both muscle and liver, muscle glycogen provides quick energy for emergencies. Liver glycogen is used to replaced blood glucose, so when blood glucose levels are low because of exercise, the liver release its stores into the blood and used as fuel. Carbohydrates are used as a major fuel source during high intense exercises.
Fat- 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat. most fat is stored as triglyceride in fat cells but some are stored in muscle cells. We are born with a fix amount of fat cell, which we can never get rid of, they can only expand or decrease based on the amount of the food we consume. Free fatty acids are the primary source of fat during low intense exercises, while triglycerides are used at higher intensities. Between 65-85% of V02 max the contribution of fat as muscle fuel is equal between plasma free fatty acids and muscle triglycerides.
Protein- Can be used as energy but it fist has to be broken down into amino acids. Some amino acids can be used as energy immediately but other have to go through a series of process to be later used. (Glycolysis, Krebs cycle (TCA), Electron Transport chain) Your body does not like to break down proteins but when your running or working for a long period of time, you body has to choice but to break down muscle to be used as fuel.
Lactate acid- This used to be consider a waste product of glycolysis, but new evidence suggest can play a role during exercise. The liver can take lactate and converted into usable energy or it can be used by skeletal muscle and the heart.
4. BURN FAT THROUGHOUT YOUR BODY - Although there is not spot fat reducer except liposuction (which is not a good idea). We can use the Target Heart Rate Reserve to obtain intensities for 65% 70% and 75%. The latest research has suggested that intensities that range from 65-75% have significantly decrease body fat. Although your body utilizes all three (fat, carbohydrate, and protein) of fuel source at once, the percentage of each one varies based on the intensity and duration of the exercise.
5. BE CONSISTENT - Try to work at 70% for at least 20min 3-5 a day as much as possible, because the most abundant of calories that are being used are coming directly from your fat storage.
6. KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT DURING EXERCISE - Our bodies are a sophisticated machine, in which when confronted with a external stimulus, our bodies will meet or try to meet the demand place on it to maintain homeostasis.
The first 10 min are challenging at first, but that is because your body does not know what its going to do when you start exercising, so it has to used quick energy in the form of Carbohydrates to meet the demands; also because of the extra oxygen it needs (known as Oxygen debt). However, once it realize that it going to continue to exercise for longer than 15 min it gradually shifts from using more carbohydrates to a grater among of fat as a fuel source. Also note that after your done exercise you will sweat and still burn more calories because you have more oxygen in your body (know as EPOC or excess post oxygen consumption). Knowing and understanding what happen when your exercise to your body will help you become more aware of what to do and also what to eat to achieve great results no matter what your goal is. Good Luck!
Tags: during exercise, fuel source, intensity duration, total energy, your body