I have been reading all the different posts on here about burning muscle instead of, or along with, burning fat while exercising (catabolic, anabolic?) and I am confused. From what I've always heard while I was growing up and in school and such is that your body uses fat as stored fuel for energy. Well why would your body by-pass it's fat storage and burn muscle instead for it's energy needs?? That just doesn't seem right to me. If that is the case then why does the body even store fat when it could just feed off the muscles?

I have been reading all the different posts on here about burning muscle instead of, or along with, burning fat while exercising (catabolic, anabolic?) and I am confused. From what I've always heard while I was growing up and in school and such is that your body uses fat as stored fuel for energy. Well why would your body by-pass it's fat storage and burn muscle instead for it's energy needs?? That just doesn't seem right to me. If that is the case then why does the body even store fat when it could just feed off the muscles?

This is how body works: primary source of energy are carbs, then protein and then fat. If you are not consuming enough calories your bodu turns on the defense mechanism by storing most of you eat as fat for future use (if there ever is a future use), and feeds on muscle. There are two types of carbs: simple carbs and complex carbs. Depending on your activity and the time of the day you need to consume different types of carbs. For example you need a mix of simple and complex carbs in the morning, becuase you need to increase the sugar level in your blood to increase metabolism. You need complex carbs and a lot of protein during the day (usually 150+ grams a day). And you need slow burning protein before you go to bed (I use low fat or non fat cottage cheese). So when you sleep the protein that you ate will be slowly burned from your stomach and not from your muscle and energy will be leveled off from stored fat.

As to why body burnes protein t first here is an answer: Carb's and protein's molecular structure is not as strong as fat's. That is why body goes from carbs to protein and to fat. When you are on cutting phase you most likely lose some muscle. But the loss will be minimal if you increase your protein intake and lower your carbs (especially simple carbs).

There is really a lot more to write but there is a lot of info here on forum. I wish I had time to write it all. Sit down during this long weekend and do some research. There is a lot of excellent info here. You just have to look through it.

Hope I was helpful with something. If you want take a look at my before and after pictures in Photo Gallery section. My thread is on the second page. ;)

I have been reading all the different posts on here about burning muscle instead of, or along with, burning fat while exercising (catabolic, anabolic?) and I am confused. From what I've always heard while I was growing up and in school and such is that your body uses fat as stored fuel for energy. Well why would your body by-pass it's fat storage and burn muscle instead for it's energy needs?? That just doesn't seem right to me. If that is the case then why does the body even store fat when it could just feed off the muscles?

and there are still health persons that say bread is a staple in a diet, and more than 100g of protein in a person is bad.. it doesnt mean they are right.

the body stores fat because fat is a more POTENT energy souce. every gram of fat is 7 (i think) calories. every gram of protein is 4 calories.

their is more muscle in a persons body than fat. why would your body burn the most valuable energy first? IE fat.. when it has more readily useable source such as carb's and muscle.

i think it even goes as far as the human body is lazy, and muscle tissue can be broken down much faster than fat (i beleive).. its like electricity wants the shortest path.

and there are still health persons that say bread is a staple in a diet, and more than 100g of protein in a person is bad.. it doesnt mean they are right.

the body stores fat because fat is a more POTENT energy souce. every gram of fat is 7 (i think) calories. every gram of protein is 4 calories.

their is more muscle in a persons body than fat. why would your body burn the most valuable energy first? IE fat.. when it has more readily useable source such as carb's and muscle.

i think it even goes as far as the human body is lazy, and muscle tissue can be broken down much faster than fat (i beleive).. its like electricity wants the shortest path.

To correct Jono, 1gram of fat is 9 calories, and 1 gram of protein and carbs is 4 calories.

To correct Jono, 1gram of fat is 9 calories, and 1 gram of protein and carbs is 4 calories.

thanks bud,

and what you said above about the molecular structure makes sence. our bodies are lazy =)

Thanks for the schooling...that is exactly the information I was looking for. That really will help me from here on out when planning my meals. Thanks a lot all!!

Thanks for the schooling...that is exactly the information I was looking for. That really will help me from here on out when planning my meals. Thanks a lot all!!

You are welcome Geed. That's why we are here: to learn from each other and help each other. But you really have to thank John. He started it. As someone in technical thread said: "John is the victim of his own success."

But hey. Whenever you have a question, post it here and you will get responces. What you have to remember, there is no right or wrong answer: you have to experiment to come up with the best solution for yourself, as each person is different. :gl:

Not all fats are 9 calories/gram. Cocunt oil is 6.8cal/gram.

Not all fats are 9 calories/gram. Cocunt oil is 6.8cal/gram.

Actually its about 8.6 cal./gm.:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s00e4.html

http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item.php?item_id=04047&size=2

Well why would your body by-pass it's fat storage and burn muscle instead for it's energy needs?? That just doesn't seem right to me. If that is the case then why does the body even store fat when it could just feed off the muscles?

You are right. There is a lot of good information on this subject for example on the HowStuffWorks site. Check this one out
http://home.howstuffworks.com/food.htm , especially the I'm Starving chapter.

As far as I know this is what happens. (I am a bicycle guy, so what I'm writing mostly relates to aerobic exercises, I have no clue, how a mostly anaerobic weight lifting exactly works.)

Generally when your muscles need energy, the easiest way for them to get it is by burning ATP. ATP can be made 3 ways. Your body can make it from phosphocreatine. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of it in your cells. They say that for cycling you can only get like 5-10 seconds worth of "boost" from them. You can also make ATP in an aerobic fashion, when you have enough oxigen delivered to your cells. All 3 major "food groups", carb, fats and protein can be used in the aerobic method. Lastly, when you don't get enough oxigen, you will need to make ATP in an anaerobic way, with which you can only use carbs. (When you are in an anaerobic burn mode, one of the byproducts is lactic acid, that makes your muscles hurt the next morning.) Also when you go anaerobic, you are producing only a 20th of the ATP you would produce with enough oxigen from the same amount of carbs.

Your body normally has around 1500 cals worth of glucose stored. It is in the muscles and in your liver. When you start exercising (in need of ATP), your body starts using this "sugar" to fuel the muscles. Also, as you are using your sugars up, your body starts using up fat to fuel the cells that can take it (like muscle cells). (As a side note, when you run out of your 1500 cals, you will bonk, so that's why runners/cyclers keep eating during a long event.)

Now when your liver runs out of the glycogen, it will look for another source of energy and at this point it will start converting amino acids into glucose. It will also convert the fatty acids (that are already being consumed by the muscle cells) into ketones, another form of "fuel" your more picky cells (mostly nervous system cells I think) can use. (They can use glucose and ketones but not fatty acids as far as I know.)

The problem with using fat for fuel is that it is more difficult to change it to sugar and you can only utilize it at lower load levels (they say up to around 50% VO2max).

So no, you will not burn up all your muscles and get stuck with bone and fat, but you have to be aware of keeping your liver happy during hard exercise or a weight loss program.

(Sorry about the long post.)

Muscle is also a metabolic system, so your body will part with it first in order to further lower calorie requirements.

I wish this wasn't so, too bad our bodies don't understand that we wanna be ripped. ;)

When you are in an anaerobic burn mode, one of the byproducts is lactic acid, that makes your muscles hurt the next morning.

Actually the muscles hurt the next morning because of microscopic tears in the fibers, that is the damage that our muscles adapt and grow because of. Lactic acid causes the burn while lifting.

I also believe ( could very well be wrong ) that anaerobic refers to weightliftings ability to raise the metabolism for some time after the work stops.

Good information though, I just wanted to point that little fact out.
:)

Actually the muscles hurt the next morning because of microscopic tears in the fibers, that is the damage that our muscles adapt and grow because of. Lactic acid causes the burn while lifting.

I also believe ( could very well be wrong ) that anaerobic refers to weightliftings ability to raise the metabolism for some time after the work stops.

Good information though, I just wanted to point that little fact out.
:)

Muscle pain : it depends. If you do a typically non-overstressing aerobic workout, like ride your bike easy, your muscles will be just fine, no morning pain. If you go just somewhat harder, so you push yourself above your lactate threshold, ie you are anaerobic, you will have some pain from the lactic acid. Like I said, I am not sure how this plays out in a mostly anaerob weight lifting exercise, so most likely the micro-tears also hurt the next morning.

(Btw, lactic acid is always produced, even when you are aerobic, it is just that your body can burn it up easily and it does not stay in your muscles for a long time.)

I don't know if anaerobic means raised metabolism for bodybuilders, I only used it in the "traditional" meaning, when you just don't get enough oxigen to produce ATP in the more conventional, more effective way. ;)

simply means "without oxygen." The primary fuel source for the body is ATP which is broken down into ADP + P and releases energy. This process requires no oxygen.

This is not the same thing as the elevated metabolism experienced after a weight session.

Muscle pain : it depends. If you do a typically non-overstressing aerobic workout, like ride your bike easy, your muscles will be just fine, no morning pain. If you go just somewhat harder, so you push yourself above your lactate threshold, ie you are anaerobic, you will have some pain from the lactic acid. Like I said, I am not sure how this plays out in a mostly anaerob weight lifting exercise, so most likely the micro-tears also hurt the next morning.

(Btw, lactic acid is always produced, even when you are aerobic, it is just that your body can burn it up easily and it does not stay in your muscles for a long time.)

I don't know if anaerobic means raised metabolism for bodybuilders, I only used it in the "traditional" meaning, when you just don't get enough oxigen to produce ATP in the more conventional, more effective way. ;)


Your explanation is perfect. :claplow:
Easy and straight to the point. I also believe that any kind of excersise (anaerobic or aerobic) if performed for prolonged period of time will have an after workout effect. But hey, for every study that is out there right now, there will always be a counter study that proves otherwise. I guess that it all has to do with the people that they choose to study on.
Other then that I agree with you BUNCO. Right on the point.

I stand corrected Two Step.

I am still learning myself, and it's difficult due to the half-truths, and sometimes downright lies out there. :)