 | Lesa Schwartz
has been with Health Strategies in a variety of capacities for 14 years. She enjoys biking, swimming, reading, and quilting. She is a mother of 4 and looks forward to visiting B&B's when she and her husband have the time. You may contact her at Health Strategies, (316) 651-8007. |
Fitness
2002-05-01 08:53:00
How do I know when I'm burning fat?
Question: How does one know when he or she is burning fat? I have heard that 'less fit" people will burn more sugar than fat. What's the difference?Answer: First, let's look at the differences and similarities of sugars and fats and what they do in the human body. When you consume extra carbohydrates and sugars, they simply turn into fat. When carbohydrates enter your body, they are rapidly broken down into glucose (a sugar). Glucose raises your blood sugar levels causing your pancreas to make the hormone insulin. Insulin inhibits fat already stored in your body from being broken down, promotes the storage of new fat in the body, and increases your cholesterol levels.Your body prefers to burn sugar. The brain is for all purposes unable to use any other fuel than glucose, the simplest of sugars. Your muscles will start with this also. The better trained your muscles are, the more glycogen they can store. It is the longtime commitment to work that convinces the body and promotes fat burning. Fat is made from carbon and hydrogen, but it is a more complex molecule, and holds double the energy of sugar. Burning fat requires more oxygen than burning sugar. When the fat burning kicks in, you will find that you breathe even deeper and you get hotter, even if you do not walk any faster than you did five minutes ago.The way to reduce the amount of fat on the body is to reduce the amount of fat that goes into it. The body does need a certain amount of fat. "Without fat, your body can't function," says Franca Alphin, registered dietician and administrative director of Duke University Diet and Fitness Center. "Fat is an essential nutrient, gives your body shape, and cushions your organs. Fat also keeps hair glossy and skin smooth, coats nerve endings, help compose cell membranes, and keeps a woman's reproductive system running." The American Dietetic Association recommends that no more than 30% of your daily calories should come from fat. Eating less is key because once your body makes a fat cell, it will never lose it. Cells shrink as a person loses weight, but these cells never disappear. 'Less fit' people could burn more sugar that fat due to their endurance. The muscles don't have the stamina needed to sustain a 20-60 minute exercise plan. And according to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the body temperature is a factor. When it is cold, the body temperature decreases, and the body burns sugar. The body burns fat when the body temperature is increased, or in other words, when it is sweating!
