Weight loss myth busted: Focus on endurance, not just strength training
Over the last twenty years, Daniela Kielkowski has focused on analyzing the metabolism of 15,000 people. Her research has led her to surprising conclusions regarding weight loss, debunking the myth about strength training being beyond our capabilities.
5:39 PM EDT, July 22, 2024
Nutritionist Daniela Kielkowski emphasized that the key to losing unnecessary pounds isn't exhausting oneself with gym workouts. The expert, originally from Berlin, has solid evidence to support her thesis—she has analyzed the metabolism of 15,000 people. Kielkowski discussed the 20-year research results during an interview with "Bild."
Want to lose weight? Keep this in mind
When fighting excess weight, we typically focus on changing eating habits and physical activity. Many believe that intense gym work is necessary to change body shape and that endurance sports like jogging are useless. Nutritionist Daniela Kielkowski says the opposite.
Most overweight people do not have too little muscle mass; they have a lot of it. So, if you want to lose weight, you don't need to build muscles; you need to improve their function, emphasizes the expert for "Bild".
A body with a higher mass needs muscles to function properly. Therefore, focusing on improving muscle function is crucial for weight loss. "Every muscle cell is a small miracle with a complex metabolic system. It must function properly, for instance, to burn fat," Kielkowski concludes.
Endurance training more important than it seems
The nutritionist notes that muscle cells need adequate oxygen for fat to burn. She emphasizes that strength training is an anaerobic sport; we can't quickly replenish oxygen reserves during such exercises due to their intensity.
Endurance training, on the other hand, is an aerobic sport. Steady movements at a moderate heart rate stimulate blood circulation. The nutritionist explains that oxygen-rich blood reliably supplies muscle cells, which can then convert carbohydrates and fats into energy.
When our muscles function efficiently, oxygen reserves regenerate quickly after exertion. However, overweight people may face difficulties with this due to factors like reduced lung efficiency, cardiovascular problems, vascular changes, or elevated inflammation markers that affect oxygen transport in the body.
At the beginning, patients do not perform any strength exercises. We recommend an hour of endurance exercises every other day or at least three times a week to improve oxygen supply to muscle cells, thereby enhancing fat burning. A brisk walk, jogging, and cycling.
The expert adds that if fat burning at rest is not a major problem, it's best to combine both types of training.
However, I recommend maintaining the proportion of strength training to endurance training at a ratio of 1:2. Studies have shown that endurance is much better at reducing fat tissue, she advises.
