Will My Muscles Turn Into Fat?

March 24, 2013

IF you stop working out for a while, will your muscles turn to body fat?  Not exactly, but they’re not likely to say toned or ‘huge’ either.  Muscles are active tissue and must be worked to maintain their size, strength, and ability.  You have most likely heard it; “use it or lose it?!”  Indeed.  Now, the percentage of lean mass that you have shifts as you age, and is also affected by how much you exercise, so if your physical activity level drops off, you may begin to look flabbier.

Atrophy is defined as the decrease in size/strength of a body part.  This is your body basically feeding on itself and shrinking.  Example, have you ever seen what happens to a body part after being in a ‘hard cast’ after a broken bone?  Yes, it shrinks and looses strength, flexibility, and definitely muscle tone.  Atrophy.  So the question is ‘will my muscles turn into fat?’  And the answer is no, not really.  Although with aging the percent of fat in your body will naturally increase if you do not take measures.  The most significant is your eating habits.  If you normally work out on most days but then stop and continue to eat the same quantity of food/calories, you will burn fewer calories on a daily basis, and that calorie surplus could show up as a gain in body fat.  If your muscle mass decreases at the same time due to a lack of exercise you could see big changes in your physique.  Such as softer flabbier arms, a pronounced bulge south of the navel, back fat, extra chin… well you know the rest of the results.  Or, maybe you don’t (yet.)

Solution NUMBER ONE, strength training!  Yes, the diet is critical and that is fact…

However we all know that the muscle IS your metabolism and activity is the common denominator to burning calories.  If your muscles are inactive, so is your body when it comes to getting rid of the extra calories.  Once again allow me to post this little phrase; The Law of Thermodynamics – is – calories in = calories out.  IF your calories in is greater than your calories out (metabolism + exercise) your fat saving machinery/body thanks you.  Thus it stays warmer with insulation, stays padded in case you fall down, and has plenty of fuel for those missed snacks and meals.  Will your muscles turn to fat? Nope, it just has the appearance of fat.

F.I.T. does have solutions to combat this flabbiness!  Call or visit today, please.

In good health,

BOB

 

“I guess I don’t mind so much being old, as I mind being fat.” – Benjamin Franklin