If a fat person exercises, will he only become a strong fat person?

Being fat is definitely for a reason. Do you think you can lose weight just by starving yourself and exercising like crazy? It's not that simple!

The human body has an energy compensation mechanism. Under this mechanism, fat people will only become strong fat people if they exercise. What's going on?

In 2021, the Chinese Academy of Sciences team measured the daily energy consumption of 1,754 adults and found that in the absence of heavy physical labor and long-term food shortages, daily energy consumption is proportional to basal metabolism, while exercise consumption is inversely proportional to basal metabolism. What does this mean? Simply put, the more exercise you consume, the less basal metabolism you have.

Here is a piece of knowledge: our daily consumption is divided into two parts. One is exercise consumption for physical activities, such as when you watch videos. The other is basal metabolic consumption, which is mainly used for breathing, heartbeat, nerve conduction, etc., which are not controlled by consciousness.

Scientists have also discovered that exercise consumption is inversely proportional to basal metabolism, which is mainly related to height-weight index, or BMI. The higher the BMI, the more obvious the phenomenon. As we all know, BMI is an indicator of fat accumulation, and the higher it is, the fatter you are. Now you understand, the same exercise will make a thin person lose weight, but a fat person may not. If you want to achieve the same weight loss effect, fat people have to work harder!

Why is this happening? Isn't it agreed that "energy is conserved"?

As long as the source of excess energy in the body is reduced (i.e. starving), and consumption is increased (i.e. exercise), fat will definitely decrease and people will become thinner. Was I deceived by my physics teacher again?

Not really. It all has to do with the body’s energy compensation mechanism.

Simply put, the energy compensation mechanism is a bit like the kinetic energy recovery system of new energy vehicles. Its purpose is very simple, which is to save energy.

Energy is the basis of survival and is very important. All living things unconsciously develop the habit of saving as much as possible, storing excess energy in the form of fat for emergency use.

When you exercise and consume a lot of energy, you may end up spending more than you earn. The body has an instinctive fear of energy shortage, so it will use the "energy compensation mechanism" to make you use less energy. But the question is how to reduce it? Exercise will definitely consume energy, so we can only think of ways to reduce it from the basal metabolism. If the basal metabolism is reduced, not only will the calories used for breathing and heartbeat be reduced, but the metabolism of muscles will also be reduced. Doing the same exercise will also reduce the consumption, which is simply killing two birds with one stone.

The result is that the consumption caused by exercise is discounted. Of the calories burned, only 72% are actually consumed, and 28% are "saved", which is equivalent to a 30% discount. For example, when running, the bracelet shows that 500 kcal are consumed, but in fact only 350 kcal are consumed, because 150 kcal are recycled by the body. This is even more serious for fat people, and they may even be discounted by 50%.

So can this "compensation" curse be broken?

As long as the method is right, it is possible.

First, increase our muscle mass. With increased muscle mass, the basal metabolic rate will naturally increase. Even if it is discounted, the base number is still there, so the consumption is naturally high. This requires increasing aerobic exercise while consuming sufficient high-quality protein, calcium, vitamin D and n-3 fatty acids.

Second, don't diet too much. Only when there is enough food will the body be willing to consume. On the contrary, if the body is always hungry, it will not only be malnourished, but will also play a game of saving with you, and energy compensation will be more obvious.

So, don't believe that you can lose 15 pounds in a month. Eating enough and exercising moderately, treating your body well, is the long-term solution. What's more, excessive exercise will increase the burden on muscles and joints.

This article is a work supported by Science Popularization China Starry Sky Project

Author: Zhang Yu

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, School of Public Health, Peking University

Produced by: China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.