Fat burning is the process of converting excess calories from fat into energy. This happens as you work out and can be accomplished with a combination of diet and exercise. The first step to burn fat is to reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Once you have your calories under control, you need to increase the amount of energy you expend by exercising more. As your body needs more energy to fuel movement, it will start to burn the stored calories in your fat stores. Over time, this will result in reduced body fat levels.
Your body’s 2 main sources of fuel are carbohydrates and fat. Carbohydrates are used at a lower rate than fat and can be quickly broken down to provide the energy you need during workouts. Fat is used at a much slower rate and can be stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen or released from the fat cells (triglycerides). Fat cells store energy in the form of fatty acid molecules. When the body requires additional energy, it releases these fatty acid molecules from the fat cells into the bloodstream and breaks them apart in your muscles to use as fuel. The remaining fatty acids are discarded as waste, either in the form of sweat or in the carbon dioxide you exhale during workouts.
The adipose tissue is made of specialized cells called adipocytes, which are responsible for storing fat in the form of triglycerides. This adipose tissue is found all over the body, packed in around internal organs (visceral fat), under the skin (subcutaneous fat), between the muscle, and within bone marrow. Men tend to store more visceral fat and women usually have more subcutaneous fat in their buttocks, hips, and thighs (Cannon et al, 2018).
When you workout, the brain signals the fat cells to release the fatty acid molecules into the bloodstream. The muscles, lungs, and heart then pick up these fatty acids and use them as fuel. The discarded fatty acid molecules are excreted in sweat, in urine, or in the carbon dioxide you breathe out during workouts.
As a result, high-intensity workouts tend to burn more fat than moderate-to-low intensity workouts. This is why treadmills and ellipticals often feature a “fat-burning zone” setting.
Taking the right supplements can help enhance your workouts and promote fat loss by providing the extra nutrients needed to maximize your body’s energy expenditure during exercise. It is important to read the label and choose supplements based on ingredients, price per serving, and quality of manufacture rather than relying solely on flashy marketing and claims. Some of the most popular supplements for promoting fat burning include green tea extract, chromium picolinate, garcinia cambogia, and omega-3 fatty acids. Fettförbränning