Burning fat vs. muscle for energy

[FastAndTheFurious]

Hi, I am new here but I am not new to excercise and weight loss. ultimate goal is to lose weight but I also want to build muscle mass to increase basal metabolism. I know there is a delicate balance between the amount of cardio you do before it interferes with muscle retention. I know that cardio burns the most calories but when the glycogen stores are depleted the body taps into fat stores or breaks down muscle tissue for energy. question is at what point does the body start breaking down mucle instead of fat? I have read many different articles on this topic and everybody seems to have a different opinion. Some say after about 20 min of intense cardio the body stops using fat for energy and begins to break down muscle. Does anybody have an answer to this?
thanks

[Boss Man]

Depends on the nutrition I think.

In general the body works off a principle, of Carbs, Fats, Proteins, in digestion order.

So what you eat beforehand could affect what is burned / used up in the case of Carbs, Fats, Proteins, muscle, Glycogen and Fat stores.

[FastAndTheFurious]

After the pre-workout meal is burned off (which I can easily do within 20 min of workout) and I continue to workout for another 60 min alternating cardio with weights, does the body use 1) muscle 2)Glycogen and 3)Fat stores? Did I misunderstand your response?

Why do bodybuilders limit the amount of cardio? I thought it was because cardio interferes with muscle retention.

Thanks

[swanso5]

- the body will break down muscle the second glycogen stores are empty...it all depends on what you've eaten prior to exercising
- the 20min thing is bullshit
- if your burning pre meal off in 20mins than it needs to be bigger although if you've had carbs before than you probably haven't
- when woerkouts exceed 45mins or so than it;s a good chance your burning muscle by then
- cardio can interfere with muscle retention if cal's are too low or meal g is not right

this is for memeory but not 100% sure...

- have a limited capacity to store glycogen with about 50g in liver and 200 – 400g in muscles depending on size…if you've had no carbs at all before working out than you'll use muscle sooner into your workout than if you did have some and the more you have beforehand the less muscle you'll burn


hope that made sense, it's not worth really worrying about as you don't burn fat during workouts anyway but rather after them from elevated metabolism so eat well and work hard

[FastAndTheFurious]

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that you don't burn fat during the workout.

[Boss Man]

No you can burn Fat. That's supposedly why some people suggest doing Cardio on an empty stomach, but there's contradictory evidence suggesting that's not good.

There's also evidence from one person who did it, and another knowledgeable member both on here, to support not doing it.

I would tend to say that it isn't that good.

[swanso5]

you burn carbs during workouts and fat after it...you don't finish a workout and wholla, a 5pd decrease??

[FastAndTheFurious]

I heard that if you are always working out after having a snack, your body gets used to it and it's OK to do a few workouts on an empty stomach and you will actually burn more calories because the body is "conditioned" to burn calories. It's the same principle as muscle confusion, shocking your body will achieve better results (supposedly). I am sure there are people who would disagree with this theory but I don't think you are going to go into starvation mode if you only do it occasionally.

[Boss Man]

Probably no,t but despite some people even well know authors on the subject, saying you burn more Fat doing Cardio on an empty Stomach, I must disagree with it.

It's been mentioned here by a well respected member, it can lead to dizzy spells in people who don't suffer them. It's also been noted by a member here that it made their Cardio workout fail.

Low Bloodsugar, low Glucose conversion except from Glycogen, but ideally if you get Carbs to Glucose conversion, you should hopefully promote more Glycogen retention, reducing recovery period post-workout.

Also, it makes no sense to me, to do something that lowers Bloodsugar, when Bloodsugar is already low, to me that immediately doesn't feel right, as a concept.

People can lose weight without Cardio on empty, but for potentially dizzy spells, potentially poor workout quality, maybe even a Hypoglycaemic episode, and lengthened recovery periods, at least something like a Fruit, or a Yoghurt pre-workout, would be beneficial, without risking an unneccessary negative reaction.