Laws of Thermodynamics

Do the Laws of Thermodynamics apply to weight loss?? Are you sure??

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/thermodynamics-and-weight-loss/

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Yeah, there is a thermic effect of food. Not exactly breaking news.
  • TrailRunnermn
    TrailRunnermn Posts: 105 Member
    Never said there wasn't.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    TDEE=BMR+NEAT+EAT+TEF

    Most of us remove the Thermic Effect of Food from the equation for simplification. Also, if your macros stay constant then it doesn't really matter.
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Cool post, thanks
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Yep, there is one. Pretty small, too, in most cases.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    TDEE=BMR+NEAT+EAT+TEF

    Most of us remove the Thermic Effect of Food from the equation for simplification. Also, if your macros stay constant then it doesn't really matter.

    Yep that's IF your macros are consistent but there is a decent enough difference in the TEF between the different macros that if you were comparing a super high carb diet with a high protein one it could mean you'd be able to lose on more.

    I was reading something about this area the other day. It's interesting if you're the kind of person who enjoys a bit of physics/biochem type stuff

  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Oh and just to add, the laws of physics definitely do apply they just often get over-simplified
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    yeah, pretty sure
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  • LumberJacck
    LumberJacck Posts: 559 Member
    Thanks for posting this, I'll read it when I'm not tired, it looks heavy going, but I did 1st year Chem, and we did the laws of thermodynamics and entropy.
  • defauIt
    defauIt Posts: 118 Member
    edited October 2014
    Author is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, and demonstrates his lack of knowledge extremely well with his moronic statement about premium gasoline being more efficient. No. Octane rating is a rating which tells you what relative pressure the fuel can withstand before combustion. The most efficient fuel is the one which has an octane rating which matches the octane rating your engine is designed for, as that reduces engine knock.

    That aside, the thermic effect of food is a typically negligible factor. You're looking at a difference of less than 75 calories a day even when going from a 50/40/10 C/F/P macro split on 1800 cals/day to a 40/25/35 macro split. That's a difference of 1 lb per 2 months. And that's going from an extremely low protein diet to an extremely high protein diet. Actual results will probably be even less than that.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    edited November 2014
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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Oh, my gosh. That's so funny! I don't know if it's real (what would the laws of thermodynamics be doing in a basic, introductory, cell A&P kind of quiz?)...but it's funny as heck. :)
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
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    Oh, my gosh. That's so funny! I don't know if it's real (what would the laws of thermodynamics be doing in a basic, introductory, cell A&P kind of quiz?)...but it's funny as heck. :)

    We went over the laws of thermodynamics to explain enzyme reaction kinetics, thermodynamic calculations, and the role of catalysts. That was in biochemistry 101.

    And I bet it's real. I've read plenty of comical answers on exams I graded as a TA.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    defauIt wrote: »
    That aside, the thermic effect of food is a typically negligible factor.

    Isn't it about 10% ?

    http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_thermic.php
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9683329
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Fair enough, but leaving stuff out is the road to hell. 5% or less than 5% isn't clinically insignificant as it might be 20% or more of what people think of as their deficit.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897733/

    That study made it sound like TEF and food choices could be a pretty big factor.