Metabolic Flexibility To Burn Fat
Metabolic flexibility is a concept that refers to the body’s ability to use the nutrient it ingests to a greater extent as its current source of energy. People who can activate this mechanism of metabolic flexibility lose fat more efficiently.
They also have greater muscle mass and it is more difficult to lose it over time. This is due to the fact that their body adapts sufficiently to the type of diet to which the person subjects it.
Optimization of energy resources
When setting up a weight loss diet, it is important to know where each individual gets the energy they need. In this way, people with good metabolic flexibility can adapt to the nutrient substrate they ingest through their food.
In these people, a diet rich in carbohydrates involves the use of glucose as the main source of energy. However, in a fasting situation, they can prioritize fat as an energy substrate and maintain the integrity of muscle tissue.
If they follow a low-carbohydrate diet, they use fat for energy, while conserving muscle and liver glycogen. However, not all individuals have this ability, as it is primarily related to the particular individual’s metabolic health. It is therefore important to optimize your metabolism.
Metabolic flexibility depends on insulin resistance
One of the factors that characterizes an individual’s metabolic flexibility is their insulin resistance. For this reason , people with diabetes lose more weight on a low-carbohydrate diet. However, people who are sufficiently sensitive to this hormone can reduce their body weight with a diet rich in sugars.
So, to reduce insulin resistance and improve this metabolic parameter, you can implement several strategies, including the following:
- Intermittent fasting, according to an article published in the journal Aging Research Reviews. You can also increase the effect if you significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake, especially simple sugars.
- Perform high-intensity interval training. Exercise can positively influence the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, as shown by a study published in 2015. For this reason, both people with diabetes and pre-diabetics can use it to reduce insulin resistance.
Dieting is more bearable with metabolic flexibility
People with good health and metabolic flexibility are better able to adapt to changes in their diet. For this type of people, it is possible to establish an intermittent fasting protocol with satisfactory results. This diet hardly stimulates their appetite and the loss of lean tissue is negligible.
However, if you don’t have this ability, the best thing you can do to lose weight is usually to limit sugars. High insulin resistance can make it more difficult to follow a diet. Even in the context of a hypocaloric diet, a person may not be able to lose weight if the amount of carbohydrates is high.
Change the diet to improve health
In people with sedentary lifestyles who do not exercise regularly, it is common to find high levels of insulin resistance. For this reason , it is important to implement a range of strategies that improve metabolic health before considering weight loss diets.
This type of protocol involves limiting carbohydrates and including intermittent fasting. It should also include a strength and high intensity training program as long as possible.
Once your metabolism is healthy, you can follow a flexible diet. In this situation , your body will be able to prioritize nutrients properly when producing energy.
Metabolic flexibility is one of the reasons why it is more difficult for an obese person to lose fat than it is for a person accustomed to exercise to maintain muscle mass. Decrease your carbohydrate intake and increase your exercise to enjoy these benefits.