Maximus Gage
Working out and building muscle can be a great way to burn calories and lose weight. But does repairing muscle burn calories, too? The short answer is yes. After an intense workout, your body must recover and repair muscle damage, which requires energy. This is known as the afterburn effect, where your body continues to burn calories and blast fat for several days after your workout. The number of calories burned depends on your body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR).
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What You'll Learn
Sore muscles burn calories
Muscle soreness is a result of your workout causing damage to the muscle's tissue and fibres. Sore muscles do burn calories, but the number of calories burned depends on your body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR). The calories burned may or may not come from fat. According to a 2018 study in Clinical Nutrition Experimental, body composition plays a major role in the amount of calories burned every day. Every day, 60 to 75 percent of energy expenditure occurs at rest, 15 to 30 percent comes from physical activity, and the remaining 10 percent is used for converting food into energy.
Burning calories is not the same as burning fat. Calories refer to energy and are found in all macronutrients. To burn fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. Sore muscles are an indication that you have exercised, and your body will burn calories during and after your workout. However, sore muscles do not burn fat directly.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. This is because muscle tissue is metabolically active and requires energy to maintain. When you build muscle, it takes extra calories to maintain it. This is why people lift weights to lose weight. Building muscle can help increase your metabolic rate and the number of calories you burn at rest.
It is important to note that muscle soreness may not occur immediately after your workout. Instead, you may experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which can peak within 24 to 48 hours after training. Resting sore muscles is essential to giving them time to heal and repair.
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The afterburn effect
To maximize the afterburn effect, one can focus on increasing workout intensity rather than length. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are particularly effective in achieving a greater afterburn effect. During the initial minutes of training, muscles operate anaerobically, without oxygen, and it takes a few minutes for them to transition to aerobic functioning. By concentrating energy expenditure at the beginning of each exercise, when the muscles are still in anaerobic mode, one can optimize the afterburn effect by maximizing glycogen consumption.
The number of calories burned during the afterburn effect can vary, with some sources estimating it to be approximately 5-20% of the energy expended during the training session. For example, after an hour of intensive workout that burns 600 calories, an additional 90 calories may be burned due to the afterburn effect. While this may not seem significant, consistent strength training over time can lead to substantial cumulative effects, resulting in notable weight loss.
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Body composition and basal metabolic rate
The number of calories burned depends on an individual's body composition and basal metabolic rate (BMR). According to an August 2018 study in Clinical Nutrition Experimental, body composition plays a significant role in determining the number of calories burned daily. Resting or sedentary activities account for 60 to 75% of daily energy expenditure, while physical activity accounts for 15 to 30%, and the remaining 10% is used for converting food into energy.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories the body requires to perform its most basic life-sustaining functions. It is influenced by several factors, including body size, the amount of lean muscle tissue, the amount of adipose tissue (body fat), sex, and age. BMR is higher in males due to their larger size and higher levels of testosterone, which promote greater muscle mass. Age also impacts BMR, as it tends to decrease with age due to muscle mass loss.
Body composition refers to the relative percentages of fat mass, lean body mass, and skeletal muscle in an individual's body. Lean body mass, which includes skeletal muscle, requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue, resulting in a higher BMR. Therefore, individuals with a higher proportion of lean body mass will have a higher BMR and burn more calories at rest.
Resistance and strength training can increase lean body mass, leading to a higher BMR. For example, a 2018 study found that resistance training boosted BMR levels in a group of inactive adult women. Additionally, pregnancy increases BMR due to the extra energy required to support the growth of the fetus. On the other hand, conditions like menopause, which lead to a decrease in lean muscle mass, can cause a reduction in BMR.
In summary, the number of calories burned is influenced by both body composition and basal metabolic rate. While body composition determines the percentage of calories burned through physical activity and resting, BMR represents the minimum calories required for basic bodily functions. By understanding these factors, individuals can gain insights into their energy expenditure and make informed decisions about their health and fitness goals.
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Anaerobic muscle function
Muscle soreness is a result of lactic acid buildup in the muscles. This occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the bloodstream, which prevents the full breakdown of glucose and glycogen into carbon dioxide and water. Instead, the body produces lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles and leads to muscle soreness and fatigue. This is known as anaerobic glycolysis, and it is a natural consequence of any physical exertion.
Anaerobic exercise is a type of exercise that breaks down glucose in the body without using oxygen. Anaerobic means "without oxygen". This type of exercise is typically more intense but shorter in duration than aerobic exercise. Examples of anaerobic exercises include sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and power-lifting. These exercises involve the use of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which rely on anaerobic metabolic systems for energy production.
The anaerobic energy system, particularly the lactic acid system, is the body's way of rapidly creating energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). During the first 10 seconds of high-intensity activity, the alactic system's energy is depleted, and the lactic anaerobic system takes over as the predominant source of energy. This system can power the muscles for up to about 90 seconds of sustained intense efforts. However, due to the accumulation of lactic acid, the efficiency of this system decreases as the effort continues beyond its capacity.
Anaerobic exercise is important for building endurance, muscle strength, and power. It also increases bone strength and density, promotes weight maintenance, and boosts metabolism. By increasing lean muscle mass, anaerobic exercise can lead to a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), resulting in more calories burned even at rest.
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Building muscle burns calories
Building muscle through strength training is an effective way to increase your basal metabolic rate and burn more calories, even at rest. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning it burns more calories throughout the day, not just during physical activity. This is because muscle tissue requires energy to maintain, whereas fat tissue does not.
The exact number of additional calories burned per pound of muscle is debated, with estimates ranging from 6 to 50 calories per pound per day. The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle, and it's important to note that building muscle alone will not lead to significant weight loss. However, when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, building muscle can help create a larger calorie deficit, aiding in weight loss and improving overall health.
Additionally, building muscle has other health benefits that extend beyond calorie burning. It improves insulin sensitivity, making you more hormonally healthy and reducing the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes. It also strengthens bones and connective tissues, improves coordination and balance, and can help prevent injuries.
Moreover, building muscle can be a great way to improve your mood, sleep quality, and cognitive function while reducing anxiety and stress. It can also aid in maintaining independence as we age, making everyday tasks easier and helping to prevent age-related weight gain. Overall, building muscle through strength training is a valuable component of a healthy lifestyle, offering benefits that go beyond just burning calories.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, repairing muscles burn calories. When you work out, you tear up the muscle fibres, which need to be repaired. Your body uses the calories you eat to repair the fibres. This is called the "afterburn effect".
After a workout, your body must recover. This means that your heart and breathing rates need to return to normal while your body replenishes the energy stored within its muscles and repairs naturally occurring muscle damage. These recovery mechanisms remain active 24-72 hours after the workout, consuming approximately 5-20% of the energy expended during the training session.
To optimise the afterburn effect, maximise glycogen consumption during your workout by focusing on workout intensity instead of length. Performing fast and rhythmic repetitions of different exercises will stimulate different muscle groups, allowing you to consume glycogen in these different muscles and maximise the afterburn effect.
