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Published: Apr 17, 2020 10:22 AM EDT new study The Problem With BMI and What Might Replace It Cardiovascular Research, exercise may be even more efficient at helping us burn fat and convert food into energy than previously thought.
Consistent exercise caused the participants’ muscles to use far more fuel—predominantly fat.
Do You Go to the Bathroom Enough, exercise has positive effects on heart rate, Consistent exercise caused the participants muscles to use far more fuelpredominantly fat.

It’s well-known that exercise is a good metabolism booster, but it may be even more efficient than previously thought at helping us burn fat and convert food into energy, according to a new study in Cardiovascular Research.

Researchers measured about 200 metabolites—the substances produced during metabolic processes, which signal how the metabolism responds to exercise—in the blood of 52 young male soldiers before and after an intensive 80-day strength and aerobic training program.

They found that compared to previous studies, there were dramatic changes in many metabolites. These changes indicate that consistent exercise caused the muscles to use far more fuel—predominantly fat—than previously thought, according to senior study author John O’Sullivan, M.D., Ph.D., leader of the Cardiometabolic Disease Group at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Center and Heart Research Institute.

The ability to see these changes was likely because of the level of control in the participant sample, he told Runner’s World. Because every person being studied was in military training, that likely meant they had the same diet and sleep patterns, and they were about the same age, body mass index (BMI), and even socioeconomic level.

“By removing the ‘noise’ from the signal that might come with individual differences, the magnitude of changes seen were far greater than previously reported,” he said. “We saw the greatest changes in the fuel used by skeletal muscle such as ketone bodies and fatty acids. But we also saw many other adaptations such as changes in mediators of vascular health and protein breakdown.”

Ketone bodies—which are compounds produced when fats are metabolized—and fatty acids—like saturated and unsaturated fats—were dramatically decreased in circulation, as a result of more uptake into the muscles, O’Sullivan said. He added that this helps the body use protein more effectively, and that leads to better vascular function and fat loss over time. They were also surprised to see changes in gut microbiome-related metabolites and blood clotting mediators, he added.

“By virtue of having such as well-controlled study, we uncovered both the true magnitude of the key changes, along with the true range of effects across many different pathways, or metabolic adaptation to exercise,” he said.

Exercise is a key tenet of cardiovascular prevention programs around the world, he added, which makes it imperative that we understand the true magnitude of metabolic benefits related to effects on lipids—a substance in the cells made up of saturated and unsaturated fat, triglycerides, and steroids, among other components—blood pressure, Side Effects of Text Neck for Runners.

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O’Sullivan added that the study does have limitations in terms of general recommendations, considering that only young, fit men were studied, and that different exercise regimens weren’t evaluated.

That said, he believes the research shows compelling evidence that exercise can be a powerful metabolism Health - Injuries heart rate, Consistent exercise caused the participants muscles to use far more fuelpredominantly fat.