The fact that sports and exercise help to burn fat and reduce calories is no longer a secret. But which sports make the pounds fall the fastest, the experts argue. Up to now, endurance sports such as running, swimming, cycling and inline skating have ranked among the top fat burners. However, muscle-building training is also attracting more and more attention.
Ratio of muscle mass and basal metabolic rate
In fact, the greater the muscle mass of a person, the higher his basal metabolic rate, that is, the energy consumption during exclusive bed rest. This is because even without any exercise, the body burns fat, about 1,700 calories per day in men and an average of 1,100 calories per day in women.
In people who do very little physical activity and therefore have little muscle mass, the basal metabolic rate is usually much lower than in athletes, so they burn less fat even when they sleep. This is because while muscle cells are active at night and consume energy, fat cells doze idly away.
In general, the daily basal metabolic rate can be calculated using the formula 700 + 7 x body weight in kilograms for women, or 900 + 10 x body weight for men.
Slimming down with the help of the negative energy balance
Once you have calculated your basal metabolic rate, you know how many calories you consume while you sleep. However, since people are almost constantly active during the day – even with light desk jobs – the actual energy demand is higher than the basal metabolic rate. For people with desk jobs, therefore, the formula basal metabolic rate x 1.3 applies; those who are at least moderately physically active calculate the basal metabolic rate x 1.6.
Losing weight is only possible if the daily calorie consumption falls below the energy metabolic rate calculated in this way, thus achieving a “negative energy balance“. This means eating and drinking fewer calories than you consume. A secretary weighing 60 kilograms would therefore have a basal metabolic rate of 1120 kilocalories and thus an energy metabolic rate of 1456 calories. If she eats less than these 1456 calories per day, she will lose weight.
If you want to eat more and still lose weight, you can increase your energy metabolism through exercise. Again, endurance sports are recommended for this purpose. One hour of jogging or Nordic walking burns about 500 calories, inline skating 380 and walking 160.
A reduction of the body fat percentage should be achieved therefore meaningfully only by a combination of muscle and perseverance sport. Muscle training increases the basal metabolic rate, while endurance training increases the daily exercise units and thus the energy turnover.
The afterburn effect: burning fat on the sofa
A special feature of strength training is the high afterburn effect. Due to the intense effort of the muscles, the basal metabolic rate is sustainably stimulated, so that the body burns more fat even during sleep. According to a study by the University of Kiel, the afterburn effect lasts up to 38 hours after strength training.
The effect after strength training is 90 percent greater in the first few hours after the end of exercise than after endurance training. While the energy consumption of strength and endurance sports is relatively equal, the afterburning effect after strength training is much higher and longer lasting.
Conclusion: If you want to lose fat while exercising, you should use the equipment in the gym more often instead of pedaling away on the treadmill. However, one too many chocolate bars, which can cause the energy balance to swing into the positive, can be easily put away with a round of jogging.
