Why weight training increases the thermic effect of food...
Eating food increases your metabolic rate. This increase in metabolism
is known as the thermic effect of food.
Researchers from the Department of Kinesiology at the University
of Nevada studied the effects of weight training on the thermic
effect of food [1].
They measured the metabolic rate of subjects who ate a high-carbohydrate
meal containing 660 calories with and without a prior bout of weight
training.
Interestingly, there was a higher thermic effect in the exercise
trial than in the non-exercise trial.
In fact, the thermic effect of food was 73% greater after the weight
training trial than in the control trial. The researchers think
part of this response is due to the energy cost of glycogen synthesis.
Glycogen (pronounced gly-ka-jun) is the name given to carbohydrate
stored in your body. When you train hard, your glycogen stores are
used for energy. If you train hard on a regular basis without replacing
the glycogen your body uses, your performance during high-intensity
exercise is likely to get worse rather than better.
Research from Washington University School of Medicine also shows
that the calories in a meal high in fat or sugar are less likely
to be stored as fat if you eat them after exercise [2].
The study shows that 60 minutes of exercise helps to "divert"
fat and sugar into muscle, rather than fat tissue. Specifically
exercise increases the activity of enzymes responsible for transporting
sugar and fat into your muscles.
Studies show that the thermic effect of a meal is also 50% greater
in men who train with weights compared with men who are sedentary
[3]. In other words, if you train with weights on a regular basis,
the effect on your metabolic rate means that you'll burn off more
of the calories you eat.
Of course, this doesn't mean that exercise gives you the freedom
to eat all you want. The key to losing weight is to burn more calories
than you get from your diet. If you simply replace the extra energy
you've expended during exercise with additional calories from your
diet, then your weight won't change.
Related Articles
References
1. Denzer, C.M., & Young, J.C. (2003). The effect of resistance
exercise on the thermic effect of food. International
Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 13,
396-402
2. Greiwe, J.S., Holloszy, J.O., & Semenkovich, C.F. (2000).
Exercise induces lipoprotein lipase and GLUT-4 protein in muscle
independent of adrenergic-receptor signaling. Journal
of Applied Physiology, 89, 176-181
3. Thyfault JP, Richmond SR, Carper MJ, Potteiger JA, Hulver MW.
(2004). Postprandial metabolism in resistance-trained versus sedentary
males. Med
Sci Sports Exerc, 36, 709-716
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