Metabolic Flexibility To Burn Fat

Metabolic flexibility is a concept that refers to the body’s ability to prioritize the use of the nutrient it consumes in greater proportion as an energy source.

Individuals who manage to activate this mechanism lose fat more efficiently. In addition, they have a greater amount of muscle mass and it is more difficult to lose it over time. This is due to the fact that your body adapts well to the type of diet that the individual is submitted to.

Optimization of energy sources

When establishing a diet to lose weight, it is necessary to know where each individual gets the energy they need. Thus, individuals with good metabolic flexibility will be able to adapt to the nutritional substrate that is provided through food.

In these people, a high-carbohydrate diet involves using glucose as the main source of energy. However, in a fasting situation, they manage to prioritize fat as an energy substrate and, in turn, preserve the integrity of the muscle tissue.

If they are on a low-carbohydrate diet, they will use fat for energy while reserving muscle and liver glycogen.

However, not all individuals have this ability, as it is mainly related to each person’s metabolic health. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the metabolism.

Metabolic flexibility depends on insulin resistance

One of the factors that mark an individual’s metabolic flexibility is their insulin resistance. As a result, diabetics lose more weight on a low-carbohydrate diet. However, people who have adequate sensitivity to this hormone can reduce body mass with a diet rich in sugars.

To reduce insulin resistance and improve this metabolic parameter, several strategies can be applied, including:

• Intermittent fasting, according to an article published in the journal Aging Research Reviews . Furthermore, this effect can be increased if carbohydrate intake is considerably reduced, especially with regard to simple sugars.
• High intensity interval training. Exercise is able to positively influence the management of diseases such as diabetes, according to a study published in 2015. Therefore, it can be used to reduce insulin resistance in both diabetics and pre-diabetics.

The diet is milder when there is metabolic flexibility

Individuals with good health and metabolic flexibility are better able to adapt to dietary changes. In these people, it is possible to establish an intermittent fasting protocol with satisfactory results in which the sensation of appetite is little stimulated and the loss of lean tissue is negligible.

However, in all those individuals who do not have this ability, the best thing to do when considering a weight-loss diet is often sugar restriction. High insulin resistance can mean that, even in the context of a low-calorie diet, the individual cannot lose weight if the amount of carbohydrates is high.

Be sure to read: Ketogenic Diet: Its Goal and Risks

Change diet to improve health

In sedentary people who do not play sports regularly, it is common to find high levels of insulin resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to outline a series of strategies that improve metabolic health before considering weight loss as such.

This type of protocol involves carbohydrate restriction and the inclusion of intermittent fasting, along with a high intensity and strength training program, as long as possible.

Once metabolism-related health is regained, it will be possible to establish a flexible diet. In this situation, the body will be able to correctly prioritize nutrients when producing energy.

Metabolic flexibility is one of the reasons it is more difficult for an obese individual to lose weight than for a person who is used to sports to maintain muscle mass. Reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your exercise to take advantage of these benefits.