DO MUSCLES TURN INTO FAT IF YOU STOP WORKING OUT?

Do muscles turn into fat? I mean seriously, is this shit still prevalent? Of course, it is. This is one of the most evergreen myths which may never die. Such stupidities coming from the mouth from a school pass-out self-proclaimed fitness expert may be acceptable, but coming from a so-called trainer is simply unbelievable.

The simple answer here is NO, muscles do not change into fat if you stop working out. This myth of, do muscles turn into fat comes from people who due to some reason stop working out for an extended period of time, due to which they lose muscle mass (which is a natural process called Muscle Atrophy), and start gaining fat, as they are still consuming a similar amount of calories, which they are not burning anymore.

There is no alchemy here of converting any metal into gold, nor is there a Harry Potter magic prevalent. It’s basic common sense.

Fat and muscles are composed of different tissues altogether. Fats are made of fatty acids and glycerol, and muscles are from protein made of amino acids. Muscle tissue is phenomenally active and more you possess it, more the fat you are going to burn, at rest.

Your muscle cells have a fat-burning powerhouse called the mitochondria. These mitochondria are responsible for the production of energy. More muscle mass, more amount of mitochondria, and more the fat burning capacity of the body.

Your body needs a strong reason to produce more mitochondria. This reason is weight training and high-intensity workouts. These workouts create a large demand for energy above what your body can already produce, your body is forced to create new mitochondria in order to be prepared for the next time your muscles call on that needed extra energy. When we say your muscles are metabolically active, we are talking about these mitochondria, which are a guzzler of energy and need constant feeding. They are like a furnace that always needs fuel to remain hot. Its preferred fuel, fatty acids.

Fat, on the other hand, is an excellent fuel source for the body, especially during low-intensity activities like long-distance walking, marathons, triathlon, etc. Fat is stored in the form of extra energy in the body. Although energy is shared between the muscles and fats as we saw, muscle and fat do not convert to one another.

Therefore, this is a self-made stupid theory of, do muscles turn into fat. You cannot prevent your muscles from getting lost if you have not been engaging in any form of resistance training for a long time, but you can prevent excess fat from getting accumulated, by reducing your overall calorie intake and increasing your overall physical activity.