More than just weight loss
If your goal is health, longevity, and fat loss, stop focusing on just weight loss!
The harsh reality is that many “rapid weight loss protocols” fail because they lead to weight re-gain. The reason? Most of these methods, while burning some fat, also promote large amounts of muscle loss. It may sound subtle, but losing muscle is actually a big problem for long term (sustainable) weight loss.
Evidence From The Biggest Loser
Remember the show The Biggest Loser?
Researchers followed the participants for 6 years after the show and found that because of their aggressive cut, the participants not only gained the weight back but they were actually worse off than they were before the show, because their resting metabolic rate (RMR) was 26% lower than what it should have been based on their body weight.
RMR is one of the most important variables for sustainable weight loss. It tells us how many calories someone burns throughout their day, excluding exercise. For example, having an RMR of 2000 kcal/day is superior to 1000 kcal/day because you’d be able to consume more energy (eat more) before your body stores it as fat.
A Closer Look at Two Approaches to Weight Loss
A study published in the American College of Nutrition separated overweight participants into two exercise groups, here’s the results:
|
Group |
Cardio (4x/week) |
Weight Training (3x/week) |
|
Total Weight Lost |
19.4% of body weight |
14.7% of body weight |
|
Fat Loss |
Equal in both groups |
Equal in both groups |
|
Muscle Loss |
Significant loss of muscle |
No muscle loss |
|
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) |
Decreased by ~200 kcal/day |
Increased by ~63 kcal/day |
The Key Takeaway
The group that did cardio lost more weight, but they also lost more muscle, and therefore experienced a decrease in their RMR. In comparison, the resistance training group lost less weight, but importantly, they lost the same amount of fat and less muscle! As a result, their RMR increased!
We’re Not Bashing Cardio
Whatever style of exercise people choose is great; the real takeaway is that maintenance and growth of muscle is absolutely critical for long term health and body composition!
This is why sufficient protein consumption and inclusion of resistance training is vital. It’s also why supplementation of high quality creatine is beneficial for many people.
Introducing Myoprime: Your Muscle Preservation Solution
ATP Labs Myoprime is an advanced creatine formulation that prevents muscle loss, supports muscle growth, and improves strength and power. After reading this article you’ll also understand why Myoprime is a great option for any fat loss protocol!
