Lose Fat, Gain Muscle
The vast majority of young athletes I work with are often striving for muscle gains or fat loss and often both at the same time. This is not an easy task given that one requires an anabolic (growth) process, and the other a catabolic (declining) process. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In other words, for weight gain to occur there must be excess energy left over in our diet after sufficient energy is provided to fuel our metabolism, thermogenic effect of food (digestion) and physical activity. Similarly, energy cannot just be destroyed, therefore it must be burned by the body (and not replaced through our diet) if it is to be seen as weight loss. This is an oversimplified summary of an otherwise extremely complicated physiological process.
THE SCIENCE
Numerous other elements that are beyond the scope of this blog are involved in the process of weight management, however this concept is still at the foundation for all weight management. Both muscle and fat can be converted by the body into energy. The body will only do this if the supply of energy provided through the diet is inadequate. This is known as an energy deficit and is the goal for many a weight loss intervention. If the body is in an energy deficit then it looks to use up any available resources. Those resources can be in the form of glycogen (which is the body’s storage form of carbohydrate), adipose tissue (fat), or muscle (protein). When this process occurs fat is known to yield the most amount of energy with approximately 37kJ (9Cal) for every gram of fat burned. Alternatively, protein (which is the major component of muscle) yields only 17kJ (4Cal) per gram. This works the same when fat and protein is consumed in the diet. You are required to work harder and burn more kilojoules if there is a higher consumption of fat in your diet, due to the higher kilojoule content for every gram of fat.
THE STUDY
THE RESULTS
The results of this study are encouraging for anyone looking to improve performance and/or appearance. Translating this evidence into practice requires an appropriate training programme and an analysis of your current energy and protein intake. An accredited practising dietitian (APD) can assist you in determining your current protein intake. Importantly an APD can also provide you with diet strategies to achieve the required 2.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight, as indicated in the high-protein group in the study. No doubt for some this research will only be reinforcing their belief regarding the ability to gain muscle and shed fat simultaneously. This research does however shed light on the previously shady area regarding the specific dietary and training requirements to achieve this outcome.