http://youtu.be/T5liKz1X-Tw
This is the same clip as used in the blog why thin people are thin . If you start the clip at about 3 min 55 secs in, you will find the relevant part. One of the volunteers in the study, Martin Wong, gained weight, but only a very small amount of that was body fat – 2.4%. What the study found was that Martin turned his excess food intake into muscles and as a result his metabolic rate rose by a whopping 30%. This is a rare genetic gift since as part of the study, Martin did no exercise. What it does show is that increased muscle mass really does speed up basal metabolic rate.
Basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories we burn up when at rest. Muscles burn a lot more calories than fat or bone and this is why increasing muscle mass will help weight loss more effectively than cardiovascular ((for example running or cycling)) work will. This fact is forever being pointed out by many in my profession and the constant battle we have is that most people associate increased muscle mass with bulking up like some huge body builder. However, as seen in the video, Martin himself did not notice his increased muscles – he says he can’t think where the fat is; he has gained weight, but can’t see where, “I don’t know where the fat has gone; it could be anywhere”. However a 30% increase in his metabolic rate equates to a greater number of calories he can eat each day to just maintain his weight. So if he wanted to lose weight, then this is now much more easily achieved. For the majority of us – myself included – to increase muscle mass is a commitment to a regular workout in the gym shoving the heavy stuff about. And this will result in a better looking body that can eat more food without gaining weight.