Fat Burning: How It Works!

Fat Burning- Burning fat is a complex process that provides the body with energy. Here you can find out exactly what happens when fat is burned, what role it plays in losing weight and how it can be stimulated.

What is fat burning and how does it work?

How does fat burning work? This should not only be asked by ambitious endurance athletes who have to manage their energy reserves, but above all by people who want to lose weight. Because if the kilos are to tumble, the fat has to come out.

Burning fat is part of the energy supply in the body. The organism splits fat into fatty acids and directs them into the fat metabolism, where they are available as energy. This fat can either come from food or from the body’s own fat tissue.

The Body Stores Excess Energy

The fatty acids travel through the bloodstream to where energy is needed, for example to the heart, lungs or muscles. These then break down the fatty acids in such a way that they can use their energy to continue functioning.

The body stores excess food energy in the form of fat, protein or carbohydrates – less in the liver and muscles, more in the fat cells. While the liver and muscles only have limited storage space, the fat cells can be replenished almost endlessly.

The Size Of The Fat Cells Is Crucial

If we eat more than we consume, the fat cells grow so that more storage capacity is available. The result: we gain weight. If, on the other hand, the energy supply is reduced, the body falls back on the reserves. As a result, the kilos tumble. The “tapped” fat cells remain empty and limp.

Even if the number of fat cells no longer changes in adulthood according to the current state of knowledge – the body replaces dead ones with new ones – we become slimmer when the fat cells are less well filled. Because it is not the amount of fat cells that matters, but their size.

Also, when we store less energy, we become healthier in many ways. If the body stores excess fat, this has a negative effect on many processes in the body – among other things, the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases increases.

How Can Fat Burning Be Stimulated?

How much fat is burned depends on how much energy you are currently using, i.e. whether you are physically active, resting or thinking hard. The brain is the organ with the highest energy consumption.

What you eat also affects fat burning. A carbohydrate-rich diet, for example, slows them down because the body releases insulin to transport the carbohydrates from the blood into the (muscle) cells. At the same time, it no longer produces a certain enzyme that breaks down the fatty acids in the fat cells.

Stimulate fat burning through exercise

Regular physical training helps boost fat metabolism. It is a natural fat burner because the muscle cells need energy to move.

endurance training

The longer a load lasts, the more important fat becomes as an energy source. Endurance training such as jogging is therefore well suited. The following applies: Even if the energy production from fat is absolutely higher at high intensities, the proportion is higher at low intensities.

weight training

Muscle uses more energy than fat tissue, even at rest. The basal metabolic rate increases the more muscles you have. That’s why it’s good to build muscle through strength training to boost fat burning.

HIIT

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, i.e. training in which high-intensity exercises and recovery phases alternate. Some studies suggest that HIIT may be more effective than other forms of exercise at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal fat.