Fat Loss Nutrition Blog

Elliptical Trainer Outshines Stationary Bike

Exercise equipment that allows weight bearing exercise involving both the arms and legs may be the best choice for obese individuals.  Using an elliptical trainer allows you to burn more calories than a stationary bike at the same perceived intensity.

Treadmills (weight bearing, but no arm action) and airdyne cycles (arm action but not weight bearing) produced better results than the stationary bike, but failed to match the elliptical trainer.

Exercise intensity can be measured in many different ways (oxygen uptake, heart rate, perceived, lactate etc.), but for most people perceived intensity provides an easy and reasonably accurate method of establishing the correct intensity.

PMID: 18388406  

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Exercise Intensity and Fat Burning

The exercise intensity that produces the maximum fat oxidation rate (known as FATmax) varies widely, but primarily correlates with aerobic capacity.   Fitter individuals are able to oxidize fat at higher rates across all intensities, but their maximum fat oxidation rate is at a much higher intensity than unfit individuals.

Obese individuals have a decreased capacity to access fat during moderate exercise.   Lower intensity exercise is recommended to begin with.  As conditioning improves, exercise intensity should be increased to take advantage of increasing FATmax.

A recent study found that steady state exercise training at FATmax intensity increase insulin sensitivity more than an interval training protocol at 20% higher intensity.  But FATmax cannot be calculated outside of a lab, so we have to estimate it.  In very fit individuals, FATmax is somewhere near lactate threshold intensity….which is below anaerobic capacity.   This intensity feels like work, but can be continued for about 20 minutes. 

PMID: 18379212
PMID: 18385189

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Fructose Increases Insulin Resistance and Lipids

High fructose corn syrup, a common sweetener of beverates, reduces insulin sensitivity and may contribute to heart disease.  The type of high fructose corn syrup used in soft drinks consists of 55% fructose and 45% glucose… a ratio similar to table sugar.

Drinking a fructose sweetened drink at each meal increased fasting glucose levels and decreased the glucose and insulin responses associated with the meals, indicating impaired signalling.   Triglycerides and fasting apolipoprotein-B, both heart disease risk factors, were also significantly increased.

Fructose does not directly increase blood sugar levels, but contributes to insulin resistance through its impact on liver function and triglyceride levels.  The amount of fructose in fruit is not enough to induce insulin resistance.  In fact, fruit improves insulin resistance because of polyphenol activity and fiber.

PMID: 18384705

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Green Tea and Chocolate Milk Reduce Childhood Obesity

Giving children green tea and flavored milk to drink may reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, presenting a healthy alternative to soda and HFCS sweetened pseudo-juices.

Obese and overweight Japanese children drinking high catechin green tea experienced significant improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol.  The researchers found that green tea was safe and beneficial for children.

Children that drink flavored milk report higher total milk intake than those drinking plain milk.  Milk drinking children had much higher mineral intake than non milk drinkers.  The BMI of milk drinkers was comparable to lower than the BMI of of non milk drinkers. 

PMID: 18375219
PMID: 18356827

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MCT Oil Outperforms Olive Oil for Weight Loss

Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are medium length chains of fatty acids that are digested without the modifications that longer chain fatty acids require.  Consuming MCT oil can increase energy expenditure compared to long chain fatty acids such as common saturated and unsaturated fats.

A recent study compared the intake of MCT oil to olive oil in overweight subjects.  Those consuming the MCT oil had greater weight loss, total fat loss and abdominal fat loss.  The weight loss benefits are most likely related to improved insulin sensitivity, increased energy expenditure and MCT’s resistance to storage in body fat.

PMID: 18326600

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Meal Replacement Outperforms Low Calorie Diet

Using high protein meal replacement formulas can result in faster weight loss than following low fat, low calorie diets.   A six week study of 90 overweight and obese individuals found that those who received a high protein meal replacement formula lost twice as much weight and nearly twice as much fat as those that received a standard, low fat, low calorie diet.

Improvements in waist circumference in the meal replacement group were triple that of the low fat, low calorie diet group.  Muliple cardiovascular risk factors were also significantly improved.

PMID: 18319587

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