Believe it or not, urban myths also apply to fitness and fat loss. There is a misconceived notion that muscle which remains unused or never stimulated is simply converted to fat. You worked so hard to build up your metabolism and tone your body and now you fear it is all going to turn into a big ball of unflattering fat.
This is one of the biggest fat loss and fat gain misconceptions. Over the years we have been conditioned to believe that muscle can be transformed into fat, and that fat can be turned into muscle. It is fairly easy to imagine the genesis of this myth. Consistent weight training leads to the addition of metabolically active lean muscle mass and a decrease in fat stores. Cessation of training often leads to soft muscles, and an accumulation of body fat. Your legs are no longer toned, your belly seems to flow over your belt and your strength just isn’t the same. Has your body converted muscle to fat?
Fat loss Fact
It is physiologically impossible to convert muscle to fat and fat to muscle. Muscle and fat are two distinct biological tissues with different roles. Muscle is metabolically active and consists of many fibers that contract to perform movement. When a muscle is forced to overcome a resistance it is unaccustomed to, it responds by increasing in size. The increase in muscle growth substantially increases your metabolic rate. We all have an individualized net balance of muscle growth and muscle breakdown that occurs on a daily basis. This is referred to as the “metabolic set-point.”
Performing daily activities such as going to work, walking the dog and moving around provides enough stimuli to maintain your muscle mass and the strength you need to perform your tasks. The true test of muscle balance can be seen when someone has to wear a cast or lay in bed for a certain amount of time. Within a few weeks of immobility, the body quickly favors muscle breakdown or atrophy over muscle building, also known as hypertrophy.
The skinny on body fat
