Exercising: when do we burn fat?

Today we discuss one of the basic pillars of a healthy lifestyle… exercising . But before we start talking about sports, I want to mention that we are among the first generations to plan their sports classes on the calendar. I don't remember hearing my grandparents need to subscribe to the gym, or discuss how much protein to eat after returning from... the garden.

Let's be honest! We are becoming an increasingly sedentary, couch comfy society, and those hours of exercise planned daily in our calendar are like water for the body. The official definition of life, as described by the World Health Organization: "Life is a superior form of movement" , not sedentary. This article is just one of those many sports series, so let's start with the motivation…

Why exercising is healthy?

Do we only think about working out when we want to lose weight? Exercising must first of all be viewed from the perspective of the lymphatic system , of which cleansing helps, and not only from the perspective of calories. The lymphatic system is the one that stores toxins which come from outside (food, what we put on the skin or inhale), and they can only be put into circulation and eliminated by movement. Moreover, the better a muscle is worked, the more continuous the movement of the lymph is, due to the unstoppable tremor of the toned muscle.

The lymph does not have a pump to help it circulate in an antigravitational way, as we know is the heart for the circulatory system . However, movement also helps blood circulation, as the heart is a muscle that becomes stronger and toned once it is worked. It is not surprising that the pulse of performance athletes at rest is around 50 beats per minute, because their heart has an immense force: it beats rarely and firmly. The lower the heart rate becaomes by doing sports, the stronger the heart, and this aspect extends our life .

And when you thought it was over… other reasons why we do sports:

Glycemic regulation - During moderate-intense exercise we use the glycogen reserves from the muscles and liver. Blood glucose is regulated for those with high blood sugar (be careful, however, if you have hypoglycemia). It is scientifically proven that sport prevents type 2 diabetes and improves its symptoms and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.

Regulating intestinal transit - we can work the abdominal muscles (not by jogging, but crunches) to improve intestinal peristalsis (or movement). Problems with the lazy gallbladder? By working the abdominal muscles we help the gallbladder to contract better.

Increases HDL (the "good cholesterol", or the carrier of cholesterol from the body to the liver, which in turn eliminates it in the intestines) that cleanses the vascular system of LDL (so-called bad cholesterol).

Increases metabolic rate (by cardio workouts), so it helps us burn more fat while resting. If you have a few extra pounds, it's another good reason to start moving every day. Moreover, it tones our muscles (through fitness workouts), increasing the amount of energy consumed by the body (fat), and muscle begins to replace the unwanted fat.

It makes us happy! Exercising is the most powerful trigger of endorphins and serotonin (happiness hormones) from the body. But satisfaction comes after sports, not before doing sports. It is addictive, but it must be conquered with a good mental setting.

When do we burn fat?

First, let me tell you what types of fuel you consume while exercising, in the order your body is using it:

1. Circulating glucose (the sugar we already have in our blood at the time);

2. Glycogen (cash energy) available to the liver and muscles;

3. Proteins (in fitness, especially, when cracks occur in the muscle);

4. Fats (second-hand energy), which we burn when we rest or in light physical activity (during warm-up, for example).

So, fat is burned in a large proportion after exercising, during the recovery period and not during intense exercise. When we sit (after sports), the body does not need fast energy (glycogen, which the body tries to store in order to regulate blood sugar and nourish the brain), but goes to fats. The higher the body's metabolic rate, the more fat it burns at rest (e.g., eating the same, but not gaining as much fat as before).

And… what kind of exercises should I do for good results?

Cardio - we stay longer in the aerobic zone (even though at high intensity we easily reach the anaerobic zone), it increases the basal metabolic rate (we burn more fat at rest), it improves circulation, tones the muscles;

Fitness - we mostly go to the anaerobic area, we damage the muscle a little, and the body comes to rebuild. Through fitness we take the blood to the area we want to thin. We build muscle, which leads to increased basal metabolic rate and weight loss. More muscle and more energy consumed using second-hand fuel (fat).

Recommendations

We try to avoid the caloric theory : I go to the gym to burn about 400 calories, so I can eat a Snickers bar afterwards, because if I add up all the calories I'm still ok. Sport does not wash food!!!

More doesn’t mean better : We weren’t designed for endurance sports, but for moderate and regular exercise. Endurance sport is a pro-stress and pro-oxidative factor in the body. We can choose either between light, but long exercise (such as hiking, cycling in nature), or an intense and short one (aerobics, fitness) and not one that takes us to physical exhaustion (unless you are a professional athlete).

Combine aerobics with fitness every week: the proportion should be somewhere between 50-50, for very good results. It is recommended by researchers that adults between the ages of 16-64 do a minimum of 150min / week of moderate intensity aerobics (2h and a half) or 75min / week of high intensity , to which is added at least 2 fitness sessions. The maximum intensity pulse you can reach is calculated as '220 - age' and can be dangerous, but to see the stages of physical intensity click here .

Even though we don't like it at first and it takes a lot of grit, we should start exercising . It will take us somewhere around 3-4 weeks to make this activity a habit, but it's worth it!

Sources:

– Physical Activity and Sports—Real Health Benefits: A Review with Insight into the Public Health of Sweden: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6572041/

– Heart Rate Calculator: https://www.bergfreunde.eu/heart-rate-calculator/

– CÂT DE DES SĂ FACI SPORT PENTRU A SLĂBI? | Scoala de Slabit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwV0PurE48

– Cum să te împrieteneşti cu sportul, pentru a slăbi eficient? | Eveniment LIVE GRATUIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQcAYOsjXfA

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Lavinia Dinca

Nutritionist