As I was preparing for an upcoming presentation on the topic “Lose Fat Gain Muscle” I came across blogs proclaiming that we do not lose fat by aerobic exercise alone but only when it is combined with strength (resistance) training. The author’s explanation was that running alone causes you to lose muscle, while strength training increases muscle. They went on to say that one pound of muscle burns 100 calories, so running for fitness could potentially slow down your metabolism by 200 calories (they’re assuming a 2 pound loss of muscle tissue) while strength training could add 2 pounds of muscle tissue which would increase your metabolism by 200 calories . To substantiate this argument, 1blogger cited a study published last year in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism (Scott et al 2011). Reading the study, I found that it did nothing to substantiate this claim for several reasons:
- This was not a weight loss study.
- The study did not, nor was it designed to, measure changes in body fat and muscle mass. Rather the purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences in energy expenditure between workouts using moderately heavy weights as compared with heavy weights.
- The subjects were 10 (small study) guys in their 20’s who strength trained habitually.
- The results showed that subjects using moderately heavy weights burned more calories than very heavy weights (a modest 23 vs 17 calories for 2 sets). It did not show, nor was it designed to show, an increase in metabolic rate with strength training.
This is a perfect example of how research often gets misinterpreted, leaving the reader with the wrong impression. Not only did this study tell us nothing about the most effective way to lose body fat, but the bloggers erred in another big way: one pound of muscle uses 6 calories, not 100 calories (McClave et al 2001).
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The American College of Sports Medicine, the professional organization for sports medicine physicians, exercise physiologists, sports dietitians and others, recommends a focus on aerobic exercise for weight loss, with at least 150 minutes spent in this activity weekly (ACSM 2009). The experts who reviewed the research on this topic concluded that there is inadequate evidence to suggest that resistance training increases weight loss, but note that it has other health benefits and therefore should be included as part of a weight loss plan.
It is important to note that, with rare exceptions, it is impossible to gain muscle while losing fat. This is because fat loss requires restricting calories, while muscle gain requires a surplus of calories. Furthermore, research has found that the typical amount of lean mass gained after 3 months of a resistance training program is 2-4 pounds in YOUNG MEN WHO ARE NOT RESTRICTING CALORIES. Older individuals and females will add less, and those trimming calories for weight loss will most likely see no increase at all in their absolute amount of muscle mass (percentages may change, but this is different). Using the scientifically derived figure of 6 calories per pound of muscle, the individual who does gain 2-4 pounds of lean mass will see an increase in metabolic rate of 12-24 calories at the most, an amount that can be overeaten simply by eating a larger apple.
But what about the “after-burn,” you may ask. Well, that is also likely to be trivial, especially if calories are restricted. Research has shown that a significant increase in metabolism occurs after long duration high intensity exercise when it is supported by adequate calories. Meaning, this will occur if you are training hard and eating enough to maintain your weight, not if you are restricting calories to lose weight.
So how do we lose weight and improve our body composition? The research supports a combined program of aerobic activity of at least 150 minutes weekly augmented with strength training, while eating fewer calories. Strength training will not increase our metabolic rate, but it will help us keep more of the muscle we have thereby preventing a significant decline in metabolic rate. The jogging, swimming or biking that we do will train our bodies to burn more fat for fuel during activity, and when doing the recommended amount will use calories that, if not replaced when we eat, will result in a loss of body fat.