True or False about Fat Loss & Exercise

• « To lose fat, exercise has to be done on a empty stomach »

FALSE. It is highly individual. Some people are very sensitive and may experience hypoglycaemia. Those people should not worry about eating something before their workout. They will use it as a fuel anyway and their wellbeing and energy expenditure will be higher during the workout.

• « To lose fat, a good strategy is to delay your post-workout meal as long as you can »

TRUE. You will burn more fat than if you eat right away.

However, you compromise the recovery process as you encourage your body to further muscle breakdown (cortisol levels continue to increase). This is detrimental to your immune system and future training sessions.

• « After a workout, we should have proteins only in order to avoid muscle atrophy (= muscle wasting) while losing fat »

FALSE. Studies found that a combination of carbohydrate and protein aims at repairing the damaged muscle tissue and to replenish muscle glycogen stores. A ratio of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein (or 3 :1) is the optimum ratio for a post-workout intake. After a workout, muscle cells and the enzyme glycogen synthase are very sensitive to the anabolic actions (= building & repairing)  of the hormone insulin. All sugars ingested will be turned efficiently into glycogen (glycogen being your fuel, with fats) if consumed within 45 minutes after a workout. 

DId you know that ? Chocolate milk is a perfect drink if you tolerate dairy ! To get the most out of this drink, get some raw cow’s milk or raw goat’s milk ( if you tolerate dairy and willing to avoid processed food), add some raw cacao powder and a tablespoon of raw honey. 

• « To lose fat, High Intensity Interval Training is the best training method »

TRUE. However, this answer is for the average. Like every method, it depends on your profile. It is paramount to individualise your training and make sure you take into account the whole picture related to your current exercise & movement regime, sleep patterns, health, lifestyle, diet and emotional state. Ask a Personal Trainer.