As part of a weight loss goal, the metabolism basal or BMR (basal metabolic rate) it is certainly one of the subjects on which the most fragmented and least reliable information has been provided.
Especially on the concept of acceleration to get one weight loss faster or to try to get it again in case of long periods of stall.
Index
Let's define the metabolism
First of all we have to define what BMR is: it represents the minimum quantity physiological Calories that our body uses for the sole purpose of staying alive, doing absolutely nothing.
In other words, the essential energy that your body would burn if you lay in bed, in a situation of total relaxation both physically and cerebrally. Fasting for at least 12 hours, with a perfectly isothermal environmental situation, that is, with room temperature in which you always find yourself constant.
This is because we consume additional energy not only if we move, but also if we stand still, if we think or study, if we digest a meal or to adapt our body temperature to changes in external temperature.
And the basal metabolism is calculated without taking into account no energy expenditure additional.
Let's do two accounts
Meanwhile, keep in mind the fact that the basal metabolic rate represents a percentage that, in a trained individual, oscillates between the 60% and 70% about calories burned daily; the remainder is borne by other factors that we will not cover in this article.
In turn, a fair part of its consumption processes, that is, a more than decent one 22% about, are attributable to the volume of yours muscle mass. Most are related to our organs, while a miserable one 4% about it is your responsibility fatty deposits. Here's why it's so complicated to get rid of it: keeping it costs practically nothing.
Accelerates
Let's take stock of the situation and simplify the matter.
If I want to lose weight, I must eat less and / or consume more. If my BMR accelerates, we will certainly burn more calories and, it seems obvious, the percentage of your lean body mass will be the only parameter on which we can intervene to open the gas knob, since we will not be able to intervene on our organs.
This is the reason why you will find, in every corner of the web, the magical metabolism acceleration - muscle mass increase.
But all that glitters is not gold ...
The truth about the iron pair
Unfortunately, increase muscle mass, even if from a purely theoretical point of view it is correct, it will not lead in reality to an appreciable acceleration of the metabolism.
They always took you for a ride. Let's do one reason, or rather, at least two.
We assume that the increase of one kg of lean mass only will lead to an increase in resting metabolism of only 1,5%.
We repeat: + 1 kg muscle = + 1,5% BMR value. So we want to reason in values that are worth it, without being combing the dolls?
Do we say that we consider a metabolism increase of around 15% really interesting?
Well, you should increase your muscle mass by 10 kg. Dream of many boys, but not for force everyone; nightmare of many girls, but not necessarily all, who don't even think about it in the antechamber of the brain. In any case, let's disappoint the former and reassure the latter.
Hypertrophic increases
If you have been training for just a few months, you may have noticed how increasing by another kg of lean body mass is not an easy task that becomes increasingly difficult with increasing years of training, precisely because of the increases already obtained that cannot go on to the bitter end.
Let alone, therefore, increase by 10 kg. We can say impossible, for a girl, who has about ten times less testosterone production than a man.
So, there is no use training with overloads? We all go for a walk uphill on the treadmill? But I'm missing a dream.
Training with barbells and dumbbells continues to be essential for eliminating excess fat by increasing calorie consumption. Not so much, but also, for that contextual to the activity; especially for what begins at the end of the activity itself, the Epoc.
So, don't give away your workout at the gym, pick up the cast iron and keep pushing like mules. The increase in muscle mass will almost never be so significant as to be able to accelerate your metabolism in a truly relevant way, thus making you lose weight more quickly and effectively.
But it will have a huge impact on your caloric consumption at rest, using mainly the much hated fat deposits and promoting the weight loss you are trying to achieve.
Dr. Enzo Raco
Graduated with honors in Sport Sciences, he has been fitness manager and personal trainer manager for the largest fitness centers in Turin, for almost fifteen years.
Currently professor of sports nutrition courses, personal training and functional training for the Italian Fitness Academy, he practices the profession of personal trainer both in Turin and online.
Contacts: +39 3472551399
website: www.enzotrainertorino.it
fb: @enzotrainertorino
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