Muscle plays a role in weight loss, but it’s not what you think

Meet the experts: stuart phillipsPh.D. is a muscle researcher and professor of kinesiology at McMaster University. rachel reedPhD, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist and director of scientific research and science communications at Therabody. Aja CampbellCSCS, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. atta girlDirector of Sports Medicine at Mary Louis Academy.

Is muscle the key to weight loss?

“Muscle burns more calories than fat” is one of those fitness claims that is theoretically true, but is often overstated. It’s true that muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat, but not as much as people suggest. Just because you’ve gained a few pounds of muscle doesn’t mean your body will suddenly turn into a calorie-burning machine while you’re sitting on the couch. The big benefits of muscle have less to do with passive calorie consumption and more to do with what your body has to do to build, maintain, and use muscle.

“I wouldn’t say muscle is the main factor in weight loss,” he says. stuart phillipsPh.D., Professor of Kinesiology at McMaster University. Rather, it would be more accurate to call it a muscle. improve Quality of weight loss by helping Maintain lean body mass while losing fat— it’s a process known as body restructuring, he says.

rachel reedACSM-EP, Ph.D., explains that muscle is less important because of the amount of calories you burn at rest, and more important for how it supports your overall metabolic health. Gaining muscle will improve your insulin sensitivity, improve your training capacity, and lead to healthier changes in your body composition over time. “You often hear that ‘muscle burns more calories than fat,’ and while that’s true in theory, it’s often oversimplified in ways that can be misleading,” she says.

How many more calories does muscle actually burn than fat?

Muscle burns more calories than fat at rest, but the difference is smaller than most people think. According to Phillips, one pound of muscle burns about five to seven calories per day at rest, and one pound of fat burns about two calories. “Gaining 5 pounds of muscle doesn’t add hundreds of calories to your resting metabolism,” he says. “Realistically, you could be adding 20 to 30 calories per day, which is certainly beneficial; [it’s] It’s not a fat loss hack. ”

fat loss After all, maintaining an energy deficit means consuming fewer calories than the body needs to perform its daily functions. “The bigger metabolic benefit of strength training and muscle building is not that new muscle burns a lot of calories at rest,” says Phillips. “The training itself burns energy, which means you maintain muscle while dieting, improve metabolic health, and support long-term weight maintenance.”

In other words, muscle promotes fat loss primarily through the habits associated with building muscle. People who focus on building muscle typically do strength training consistently, eat more protein, pay close attention to food quality, and prioritize recovery, Phillips explains. A combination of these actions can help you gain fat and make it sustainable.

Other ways muscle plays a role in weight loss

When it comes to weight loss, we often focus on metabolism and the calories your muscles burn at rest. But muscle plays a much bigger role in overall health and body composition. Here’s how:

Regulates blood sugar levels.

One of the most important roles of muscles is to help regulate blood sugar levels. Muscle tissue is the primary storage site for glucose (the sugar your body gets from carbohydrates), and after you eat, your muscles pull glucose from your bloodstream to use as energy or store for later. Aja CampbellFounder of CSCS, ATTAGIRL and Head of Sports Medicine at Mary Louis Academy. People with more muscle mass and who exercise regularly tend to have better blood sugar control because their muscles absorb and use glucose more effectively.

Conversely, a combination of low muscle mass and inactivity may be the culprit. insulin resistanceAccording to Dr. Campbell, this is a condition in which the body’s cells no longer respond properly to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels. When your body becomes insulin resistant, it becomes harder for glucose to be taken up by your muscles, fat, and liver, which can increase your blood sugar levels and ultimately increase your risk of both type 2 diabetes and weight gain.

Increases functional strength.

Another factor in weight loss is that your muscles increase their functional strength. Functional strength is the type of strength you rely on for everyday activities such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs, lifting children, and getting up from the floor. While “functional” varies from person to person depending on lifestyle and age, Campbell says that in general, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more efficiently your body moves and is better able to cope with physical demands. And when daily movement becomes easier, people are more likely to stay active.

Increased daily movement can also lead to increased levels of NEAT. Thermogenesis from non-exercise activities—Calories burned during daily activities other than structured exercise, according to Campbell. Walking around the house, cleaning, standing, and climbing stairs all contribute to NEAT, and these small bursts of movement add up to increase overall energy expenditure and improve weight management.

Build muscle and lose fat with a 4-week body reorganization plan.

How to build muscle while losing fat

Do strength training at least two to three days a week.

Philips recommends strength training at least two to three times a week. Using dumbbells, resistance bands, or weight machines can help you build and maintain muscle mass, supporting long-term weight management.

However, keep in mind that to actually build muscle, you need workouts that are intense enough to allow your body to adapt. According to Campbell, this means getting closer to failure on working sets and accomplishing about 12 or more sets per week per muscle group.

It may seem like a lot, but you don’t have to overcomplicate your workouts to achieve it. “Simple, repeatable structure is often most effective, which is why we recommend doing a full-body workout three days a week that combines upper and lower body movements,” says Campbell. and compound exercisesor movements that target multiple muscle groups at the same time, can give you great bang for your buck. Exercises like deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and pull-ups can help you build strength and muscle more efficiently while maximizing your workout time.

Progress will be made gradually.

progressive overload Continuing to challenge your muscles by gradually increasing weight, sets, and reps is one of the main drivers of steady muscle gain, Campbell says. If you don’t gradually increase the difficulty, your results may plateau as your body adapts to what you’re constantly doing.

“Work sets should feel challenging,” says Phillips. “Keep adding repetitions, sets, loads, or better techniques over time. Consistency trumps novelty.”

Prioritize recovery.

Adequate sleep and recovery are essential. This is because both play important roles in muscle growth, hormonal balance, and regulating the body’s metabolism. If you don’t get enough sleep, it will be difficult to cope with hunger. Lack of sleep disrupts hormones such as leptin and ghrelinregulates appetite. Lack of sleep and lack of recovery between training sessions can also increase your risk of injury, make it harder to train consistently, and ultimately slow your progress, Reid says.

With this in mind, Reed recommends aiming to: at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each nightAlong with regularly incorporating active recovery techniques such as stretching, mobility work, and foam rolling.

Maintain a moderate calorie deficit while prioritizing protein.

If your goal is weight loss, it may seem like eating as little as possible will get you results faster, but an overly aggressive calorie deficit can actually be counterproductive. meanwhile, moderate calorie deficit Campbell says overeating and crash dieting can make it difficult to build muscle and can even lead to muscle loss, which is the opposite of what you want while rebuilding your body. A registered dietitian or physician can determine the appropriate approach for your goals, but Phillips generally recommends aiming for a moderate deficit of about 300 to 500 calories per day for sustainable progress.

However, protein is especially important if your goal is to build muscle and lose fat. the study Protein increases the body’s calorie expenditure during digestion, suggesting that a high-protein diet may help you lose weight and even support long-term weight maintenance. Protein also helps maintain health longer longermaking it easier to stick to your nutritional goals.

Protein requirements vary from person to personBut Phillips says most people, especially those looking to build muscle, need about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Ideally, you should consume protein throughout the day, about 20 to 30 grams at each meal, and add protein-rich snacks as needed.

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Don’t rely on the scale.

meanwhile body reorganizationthe number on the scale may not move as much as you hoped, but that doesn’t mean you’re not making progress. “The scale is a crude tool because it cannot differentiate between fat, muscle, water, glycogen, and intestinal contents,” says Phillips. For example, he explains, when someone begins strength training, their body naturally stores more muscle glycogen and water, while also losing fat and potentially building lean muscle tissue. In this case, the scale may move little, even though meaningful changes are occurring beneath the surface.

Rather than relying solely on the scale, Campbell recommends paying attention to other signs of progress, such as the fit of your clothes, increased strength and energy, and muscle definition. If you want more detailed data, body composition tests such as DEXA scans can measure changes in lean muscle mass and body fat.

Conclusion: Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, but the effect is smaller than commonly thought. While sustained fat loss still relies on maintaining an energy deficit, habits that build and maintain muscle, especially resistance training and adequate protein intake, can make the process more effective and easier to maintain over the long term.

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Andy Breitwich is a freelance writer covering health, fitness, relationships, beauty, and smart living. She is a graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work is Women’s Health, PopSugar, Food and Wine, What to Expect, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Healthand elsewhere. A former collegiate pole vaulter, she loves all things fitness, but has yet to meet a group training class she doesn’t like.