Thread: Burning Muscle

Its been discussed alot as far as I can see from searching through the site in different threads....But the different opinions havn't had a thread devoted to it yet, so here goes.... When does your body burn muscle and when does it burn fat? Are the maintence calorie calculators correct when they say "eat 500 less than this and youll be burning mucle instead of fat"?
~D

Originally Posted by Machher

Energy Sources:

Your body always burns a combination of fats, carbs and protein for energy. The expenditure of these nutrience can be expressed in ratios. These ratios differ depending on the intensity of the exercise.



The Ratios:

Basically, the less intense the exercise the more fat you will burn, the more intense; the more protein and carbs you will burn.



Why? It is because as the body requires more fuel as the intensity increases, but it must find the most efficient way to get it.



Fat:

Fat burns well since its a slower burning fuel, but takes long(er) than carbs and protein to extract from bodily deposits (your stomach, thighs etc.).



Protein

Protein is the second most efficient source of energy, it can be extracted faster than fat, and provide a fair amount of energy. Muscles as well as allowing you to move about are the deposits which the body resorts to for protein.



Carbs

Carbs is the most efficient source of energy. Carbs are stored in the muscle because of this; these stored carbs are called Glycomed. Carbs being the most important source of energy is a very important part of our diet and a reason why the Atkins diet is not recommended by many doctors and nutritionists.



When do I burn fat, protein and carbs?

At all times, you will be burning fat, protein and carbs.



Do the fat, protein and carbs always come from fat deposits, muscle and glycogen respectively?

No, the body will first extract protein, carbs and fat form the food you consume. Only when you have none of these left (empty stomach) will the body start burning from the deposits. Glycomed are an exception, they are always burned, during the exercise the body tries to replace the used glycogen by transforming the consumed carbs into Glycomed.



When do I burn muscle?

As soon as you start running out of consumed (eaten) protein, the body will resort to protein reserves for energy. As explained above, the reserves of protein are the muscles, thus explaining when, why and how you get put in a muscle burning state.



Scenario: Assuming you have no protein (from food) left in your body.

Your body will then be put into a muscle burning state in order to supply your muscles with energy.



In conclusion:

You are always burning fat, carbs and protein. The rate at which you will be burning them differs depending on intensity. At no point can you only burn fat.



You should also base your protein intake depending on this: for body building 1.25 grams of protein / per lbs is recommended (per day). For a desk job (no real activity) 40-50 grams of protein per day is recommended because your body also requires protein in order to function in your day to day life.



I think that covers it! Phewph

Any Other Questions?

awesome!