Where does metabolized fat go?
As fat is metabolized its energy is released when complex chemical reactions break the bonds between its basic elements. The elements are transformed to carbon dioxide and water. The metabolism of fat is a relatively slow process and oxygen MUST be present to complete the reaction. Oxygen supply is an important principle to understand if you want to burn fat fast!!
Fat Metabolism chemical equation
How can I metabolize more fat?
How much fat is burned during exercise depends on the ability of the cardiovascular system to deliver enough oxygen to the cells in sufficient time. Delivery of oxygenated blood via the arteries and capillaries speeds up as we exercise, but there are limitations. For example, many athletes can have twice as many capillaries innervating the muscles than an average person. Arteries and capillaries act like highways for oxygenated blood to travel to cells, more "highways" carrying oxygen means more fat can be burned at all times, one reason athletes stay so lean!
To speed up fat metabolism and burn off fat stores we need to supply cells with sufficient oxygen during exercise. Having billions of muscle cells all burning fat will give the benefit of greater fat loss over a shorter period of time!
There are ways to naturally increase oxygen supply to cells to encourage fat metabolism:
Improve oxygen uptake in the lungs by performing gentle breathing exercises every day, learn to breathe in a rhythmic pattern, yoga may be good for this!
When exercising try to fill a greater portion of the lungs with air - many people have a habit of shallow breathing and don't use the full capacity of the lungs. *
Exhaling twice as quickly as inhaling, also pushing more air out than normal helps to expel more carbon dioxide and drive more oxygen into the blood. *
Increase fitness levels to help develop a greater number of capillaries (small veins) to the cells.
Aerobic exercise is fat metabolism!
The word aerobic means "with oxygen" it refers to exercise that is gentle enough to give muscle cells time to burn fat. When exercise is easy sufficient oxygen can be supplied without taxing the cardiovascular system.
At a low exercise pace there is a much greater chance a higher percentage of fat will be burned, however exercising at lower levels doesn't burn many total calories that's why instructors advise longer sessions of activity. Although it wouldn't be much of a contribution to weight loss if a half hour walk only burns 100 calories even if 95% of those calories were fat. It would be better if 300 calories were burned and still have up to 90% fat utilization.
If fitness levels are increased its possible to burn twice as many calories during the same time and still utilize a high percentage of stored fat.
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