Some food for thought

elinegri · October 2014

I am currently studying Biology at university and I came across some interesting information you guys might be interesting in learning.
(Disclaimer: I am not a scientist neither am I an expert on this topic. All information is being copied directly from my lecture notes which are prepared by my lecturers. They are all experts in their fields and I trust this information. Whether you also choose to trust it is under your own volition)

- BMR (basal metabolic rate) contributes to around 50-60% of total energy expenditure in the body and is mostly used by small organs

- NEAT (or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) such as activities such as fidgeting, moving around in your chair etc. is positively correlated with lower BMIs. Thus, those who are always moving usually weight less as opposed to those who stay still most of the time. This is because this activity contributes to overall energy expenditure.

- CARBS ARE RARELY CONVERTED INTO FAT. Carbohydrates are not converted into fat unless in cases of excessive overeating of carbohydrate. The body has a large metabolic cost from converting carbs to fat so it is not favoured in the body. Most carbs are converted into glucose for immediate cell energy and are not stored.

So, what do you guys think of this information? It is different from what you've learnt in the past?

paultucker1007 · October 2014

No, its widely known.

The non-conversion of carbs to fat, whilst technically true, is somewhat misleading. As I understand it The body will generally use whatever it has to hand to fuel itself (except in extremely high intensity exercise where it requires carbs). So (simplistically) if you're in a calorific surplus, and you've eaten a load of carbs and a little bit of fat, you'll use the carbs and store the fat. If you've eaten a load of fat and a few carbs, you'll use the carbs, some fat and store the remainder of the fat. Net result: you still get fat.

If you ate NO fat, presumably this is where the body would convert, but since this situation is unlikely to occur outside of a lab or an eating disorder (I'd include bodybuilders cutting in the latter category) then its largely irrelevant.