Earlier this week someone in our discussion forum wrote, "I haven't "LOST" any fat... I know EXACTLY where it went! I got a chuckle out of that because I "got" the joke, but truth is, most people really don't know how fat cells work, how the fat burning process takes place or where the fat goes when it's burned . It's actually quite a complex biochemical sequence of events, but I'll explain it as simply as possible, so by the end of this article, you'll be a "fat burning" expert!
When you "lose" body fat, the fat cell (also called an adipocyte) does not go anywhere or move into the muscle cell to be burned. The fat cell itself, (unfortunately) stays right where it was - under the skin in your thighs, stomach, hips, arms, etc., and on top of the muscles - which is why you can't see muscle "definition" when your body fat is high.
Fat is stored inside the fat cell in the form of triaglycerol. The fat is not burned right there in the fat cell, it must be liberated from the fat cell through somewhat complex hormonal/enzymatic pathways. When stimulated to do so, the fat cell simply releases its contents (triaglycerol) into the bloodstream as free fatty acids (FFA's), and they are transported through the blood to the tissues where the energy is needed.
A typical young male adult stores about 60,000 to 100,000 calories of energy in body fat cells. What triggers the release of all these stored fatty acids from the fat cell? Simple: When your body needs energy because you're consuming fewer calories than you are burning (an energy deficit), then your body releases hormones and enzymes that signal your fat cells to release your fat reserves instead of keeping them in storage.
For stored fat to be liberated from the fat cell, hydrolysis (lipolysis or fat breakdown), splits the molecule of triaglycerol into glycerol and three fatty acids. An important enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) is the catalyst for this reaction. The stored fat (energy) gets released into the bloodstream as FFA's and they are shuttled off to the muscles where the energy is needed. As blood flow increases to the active muscles, more FFA's are delivered to the muscles that need them.
An important enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), then helps the FFA's get inside the mitochondria of the muscle cell, where the FFA's can be burned for energy. If you've ever taken a biology class, then you've probably heard of the mitochondria. This is the "cellular powerhouse" where energy production takes place and this is where the FFA's go to be burned for energy.
When the FFA's are released from the fat cell, the fat cell shrinks and that's why you look leaner when you lose body fat - because the fat cell is now smaller. A small or "empty" fat cell is what you're after if you want the lean, defined look.
It was once believed that the number of fat cells could not increase after adulthood, only the size of the fat cells could increase (or decrease). We now know that fat cells can indeed increase both in size (hypertrophy) and in number (hyperplasia) and that they are more likely to increase in number at certain times and under certain circumstances, such as 1) during late childhood and early puberty, 2) During pregnancy, and 3) During adulthood when extreme amounts of weight are gained
Some people are genetically predisposed to have more fat cells than others and women have more fat cells than men. An infant usually has about 5 - 6 billion fat cells. This number increases during early childhood and puberty, and a healthy adult with normal body composition has about 25 to 30 billion fat cells. A typical overweight adult has around 75 billion fat cells. But in the case of severe obesity, this number can be as high as 250 to 300 billion!
The average size (weight) of an adult fat cell is about 0.6 micrograms, but they can vary in size from 0.2 micograms to 0.9 micrograms. An overweight person's fat cells can be up to three times larger than a person with ideal body composition.
Remember, body fat is basically just a reserve source of energy and fat cells are the like the storage tanks. Unlike a gas tank in your car which is fixed in size, however, fat cells can expand or shrink in size depending on how "filled" they are.
Picture a balloon that is not inflated: It's tiny when not filled with air - maybe the size of your thumb. When you blow it up with air, it can expand 10 or 12 times it's normal size, because it simply fills up. That's what happens to fat cells: They start as nearly empty fat storage "tanks" (when you are lean), and when energy intake exceeds your needs, your fat cells "fill up" like balloons (not a pretty picture, is it?)
So you don't actually "lose" fat cells, you "shrink" or "empty out" fat cells. Since fat cells can not only get bigger, but also multiply, you have be diligent and consistent in your fat-burning lifestyle because even after you shrink your fat cells, the cells are still there (in your thighs, lower abs, etc), waiting to be filled up with more fat again, if you're not careful...
So stay active to keep burning fat and avoid consuming more calories than you burn, and your fat cells will get shrunk and stay shrunk!
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Tom Venuto, CSCS, CPT, is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,� which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com and http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com
IS ACUPUNCTURE REAL? Can it be regarded as a SERIOUS TREATMENT?
The other day I was Chatting with a guy who did not know me or what I did. He was telling me about a neck problem he had and how bad it was so I asked have you considered acupuncture and he said no the neck is quite bad and it needs serious attention, I will go see a Chiropractor. Now, confused by that statement and thinking about the comment for a while I came to the conclusion that most people really under estimate the power of Acupuncture.
What can be justified as real or for that matter normal? Real to some people may be a feeling, to others it may represent something they visually saw, heard or experienced, but does that really justify that something is real?
When I travelled to Sri Lanka I experienced things that if I shared with you, you’d probably say “impossible” but given for me the experience was real, I’d have to admit and say it was real.
Is a magic trick real or an illusion? At what point can something be regarded as real?
I ask this question because after 3500 years there is still doubt about whether or not Acupuncture is real. Why would generations of people keep Acupuncture therapy around for so long if it wasn’t, real or working for them? What about religion, they have all been around for thousands of years, are they real?
Could it be because someone experienced something, an event or happening that could not be explained as the experience was so moving, so (real) that they believe whatever it was, that made them feel that way, it would have proven to them to be real?
Is your Brain real? To this day, science does not really understand how the entire brain works, or for that matter electricity but they still say its real; it has to be, without it your body would not work and neither would your microwave.
There are many things in this world that can’t be explained or I should say that can be explained but not everybody can comprehend the explanation. In one of the old spiritual texts it is said; "when meditating, concentrate on the breath because it is all that is real, everything else is just an illusion!" The breath is real because without it you are dead!
At this point you’re probably wondering where this story is heading? In the Western World we are governed by what science informs us is real. Reality is measured by tangibility. If it can be seen or measured, then it must be real, if it can’t, well, then it must be an illusion. Why are ghosts often considered a figment of our imagination? Maybe because they can’t be called upon when a scientist wants to see them?
If it can’t be summoned, called upon, measured, seen or broken down to know true nature or constituent parts, and then surely it's not real. So where does Acupuncture come into this? When the body is dissected acupuncture points can not be found, a bit like someone having their leg cut off but still having an itch where the leg once was! Taoist say “the closer you look the bigger the whole becomes!” It is only now that quantum physicists actually agree with this theory, that if you break down the body structure eventually you arrive at a cellular level, then atoms, then energy that form the atoms and then the universe which provides the energy. Why the universe? Because all that is energy is part of the universe. So the full circle starts again. So what’s real?
My best definition of real is, if something makes you feel good, relieves some suffering and improves your life, even a little, then that experience is real, the results are real.
In due time, after science decides to stand still from chasing its own tail, breathe a little and starts to feel its own breath, then they and the no-sayers will notice that there is a vibration of something moving around their body – perhaps they’ll call it Chi or Energy?. In Chinese Medicine we call this Qi. If Science can for once say "yes there is something there because I can feel it / actually experience it" and then just accept that without trying to get to the bottom of it because getting to the bottom of the universe is perceptually possible, then the considered opinion of it won’t happen, doesn’t work, doesn’t exist and can’t be explained therefore it does not exist, may change to Yes, using the Meridians, or life paths of energy form through the body is factual and by redirecting or clearing pathways, acupuncture helps to cure and heal.
Today after no less than 3500 years many people do not believe in acupuncture and even after getting excellent results question whether the treatment was real or in just in their mind (A bit like the placebo effect).
I can tell you without quoting texts or history, that acupuncture is very real and very serious for all conditions, even serious ones! Some of the problems I have personally treated with instant results are:
Headache
Backache
Breeched baby
Morning sickness
Nausea
Frozen shoulder
Someone unable to stand up
Asthma attack
Impotence
Indigestion
Sea sick
Knee problem
Stiffness in the hips
Fainting
A client arrives with severe leg problems; the Western Medical approach was to conduct spinal surgery – yes serious surgical procedure. After six weeks of acupuncture, to this day he has never complained of any leg problems again, and this is from a patient that I had to pick up off the floor, as he could not use his legs, let a lone walk. Did he go into surgery, no! Would surgery have worked, who knows? Would he have walked out of surgery, highly unlikely, was he walking after the first treatment of acupuncture, well, he went back to work that day.
Believe me, Acupuncture is a very serious and mostly misunderstood treatment and it works extremely well for most physical complaints. Acupuncture is a very powerful method of treating the human body. So much so, it has been able to get women strong enough to conceive and carry the full term of pregnancy when no other intervention had worked. In relation to the client story above, it got a grown man crying in agony up off the floor, wipe his tears away and return to work that day.
Consider this? Every living thing in this Universe is made up of energy, literally every single atom, be it a solar system, planet, the Earth we walk on or the body we use to walk. Our bodies are living atoms all vibrating together to keep us together. Now and then this togetherness needs energetic correction, and that is what Acupuncture provides, it unblocks the pathways that lead to stagnant energy, allowing the body’s natural energy flows to flow.
May you have a peaceful mind and a warm happy ‘open’ heart.
Kind regards,
Scott Cansdell
http://www.backonyourfeet.com.au
Help Understanding Fibromyalgia
One of the growing areas of medicine over recent years has been the interest in diseases such as fibromyalgia, sometimes known as polymyalgia-rheumatica.
It is characterised by diffuse and variable pain symptoms felt in the muscles and joints of primarily the upper aspects of the arms and legs. It is reported to affect significantly more women than men and has associated and marked fatigue type symptoms. It is seemingly able to manifest for many months if not years, without a definite end point. There are a considerable number of experts who consider fibromyalgia to have a major psychological cause. Such phenomena are termed psychogenic or psychosomatic.
The disease is characterised by a process of exacerbation and remission, where sufferers have periods of increased symptoms followed by periods of reduced suffering. Exacerbations are commonly associated with stressful situations as well as low temperature exposure and physical exertion.
A provisional diagnosis of fibromyalgia is often given if widespread undiagnosed pain is experienced in all four limbs for a continual period of three months or more. Further confirmation is with tender point analysis where patients feel specific and abnormal tenderness on certain points located around the body. These are located at the knees, elbows and neck and shoulders.
Sufferers often report abnormal sleep patterns too.
Fibromyalgia is also associated symptomatically with a number of other illnesses or diseases such as:
metal poisoning
post war syndromes
chronic fatigue syndrome
hypothyroidism
depression
influenza
There is no known cure for fibromayalgia. Analgesia and low dose antidepressant medication is commonly used to treat symptoms. Alternative therapies and physiotherapy and massage have also been cited as helpful. Results and outcomes are not proven though and symptomatic and temporary relief seem to be the commonest outcome of treatments.
However, it is commonly accepted that exercising to a level of fatigue has negative rather than positive results with sufferers. If the symptoms are in remission the exercfise tolerance levels of sufferers can be improved albeit slowly.
Among the causes of fibromyalgia the following are believed to be possibilities:
Stress
Genetics
Endocrine deficiencies
As you can probably tell there is an awful lot that of variation and debate on the subject. This is even to the point of doubt as to whether fibromyalgia is actually a definable and diagnosable disease or just a convenient label for a reported combination of a number of widespread signs and symptoms.
There is portion of the medical fraternity who believe fibromyalgia to be a label for a group of psychosomatic symptoms rather than a specific and diagnosable illness in its own right.
Undoubtedly fibromyalgia has become a relatively recent and additional drain on medical resources, certainly in the developed world. The increase in the numbers of sufferers leads to the thought that there could possibly be a link to the lifestyle we lead today. It is certainly getting attention and whether considered to be a 'proper disease' or not it is a label currently being given to an increasing number of patients.
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Rob is a Chartered Physical Therapist. He has worked extensively in orthopedic and sports medicine fields and in both International and Premiership football and athletics. He is also a lecturer, researcher and author in his expert field. His extensive rehabilitation and treatment of injuries advice is available on his website
http://www.the-rehabilitation-room.com
