Does exercise make you lean?
I know most people would think – what a stupid question?
BUT, there is an argument to suggest that sometimes we’re not actually taking the correct approach.
This blog is partly in response to Tim Spector’s views on exercise and weight loss. See my recent ‘Spoon-Fed’ book review. I’m not going to argue with Tim Spector on exercise and fat-loss. For the most part, I agree with him.
For a reasonably lean athlete who’s already the ideal shape and weight; who has an optimum metabolism, and a healthy gut microbiome (gut bacteria that literally feast and guzzle on glucose), then perhaps high levels of exercise will keep that person’s body very lean, and could tap into other energy stores in the body, such as fat. We see examples of this when sports men and women try and trim down to meet a specific weight for an event.
But – not everyone is a young, fit athlete, are they? Does your training programme include ten to twelve sessions a week – with an ideal balance between strength, endurance, as well as your aerobic focus?
If you’re an average Mrs Bloggs with a family and a 9-5 job you could clock up a hundred kilometres on a bike a week, swim multiple lengths of a pool, run a marathon etc, but you probably won’t lose a lot of weight – if any. You will lose glycogen (stored glucose and water), because this is your body’s first call for energy; but it’s likely to get replaced as soon as you next load up on your carbohydrates again – e.g. as soon as you pop down to your favourite coffee shop, for a piece of cake and tea…
There’s a saying: “You can’t outrun a bad diet.”
I will play devils’ advocate to Tim Spector though – there are ‘some’ cases of people who can lose plenty of weight with the assistance of exercise. Over ten years of regular personal training, I have met a number of overweight people who were able to lose a lot of weight very quickly from exercise – literally within days.
The workouts we choose are often highly metabolic in nature. These aren’t easy 50-60rpm steady 30 minute, indoor bike rides in a gym though. We’re talking about serious sweat outs involving tempo running (out of your comfort zone) and indoor rowing alongside large strenuous, compound muscle movements (multiple groups of muscle). Ask Henry Cavill – what did he do to buff up for the role of Superman? – yes, lots of indoor rowing and incredibly intense workouts, alongside his strength training. This type of workout worked for me too – but we’re talking about nearly an hour and more every day of literally dripping puddles of sweat.
In those sessions, a person can literally lose up to a kilo or more in weight. Is this fat loss? This is highly unlikely. We likely to be burning up an excess of glycogen (stored glucose in your liver and muscles, and other parts of the body), and triglycerides (fat in your bloodstream) after your previous snack or meal. When your body needs energy, this glycogen gets converted to glucose in the blood stream, while releasing water at the same time.
So, if this is the case - maybe we should be asking ourselves: Are we storing too many glucose in our bodies? Are we drinking too many alcoholic beverages, and eating other processed food types – which contain hidden, high energy loads? I’ll say it again: You can’t outrun a bad diet…
“Each gram of glycogen stored in your body can be bound to 3-4 grams of water”
If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘well I’ll choose to workout at a much higher intensity’; it’s not always that simple either especially if you’re starting out on an exercise programme for the first time. You’ve got to start from a level that your body can cope with.
What about low level or moderate exercise? I agree with Tim Spector, your simple cycle commute to work or 50-60rpm slow gym slog on the cross trainer isn’t going to make you lose any weight.
Be warned about all the gym machines that say workout at a ‘fat burning level’ - this is industry nonsense - with no evidence that it does.
What our diet and fitness industries’ don’t often acknowledge is the fact that our bodies are actually homeostatically regulated and maintained by hormones that will keep our bodies stable - ‘where it’s currently at.’ We, therefore have to find out the specific individual root conditions so we can ‘shake up’ this stabilised state to achieve the changes we want to make.
I have one final argument, that is not often acknowledged – in support that exercise does help you become lean. This is due to an indirect mental change, that in turn leads to a physical one; and it means choosing to exercise as a means of developing a ‘growth mindset’.
We use exercise to help us become more athletically minded – which can be of huge benefit for our overall lifestyle and behaviour change.
We use exercise as ‘a challenge’ and hence an opportunity to learn from our failures. Because YES – stepping out of the front door and exercising isn’t easy! But it helps you build the foundations of settling a sustainable, long term habit that in turn drives the mind – and receive all the other added health benefits over time.
Exercising can help us eventually discover what food and drink is going to be the most beneficial, or the most energising. It can help us discover the best types of food and drink that fuels our body and help us perform at our best, whether on the running track, at work, or at home with our families.
My point is – never give up on the thought of exercising to build a fitter, leaner body. Just do it intelligently!
Get the right type of fitness and nutrition coach who you can be accountable to.
You know who to contact! : )
