Does Muscle Burn Fat?

First of all, did you have a look at the picture below? That’s a comparison of 5lbs of muscle and 5lbs of fat. Unbelievable! Anyways, to answer the question, the answer is yes, muscle does burn fat. However, it’s not as much as people think. It’s frequently said that a pound of lean muscle mass burns approximately 50 calories per day. In reality, this number is closer to 13 calories per day.

If you think about the time and effort it takes you to successfully gain 1 pound of lean muscle mass, 13 calories is not a great return. It’s much easier to lose fat, and much faster, by simply creating a slight daily calorie deficit (of say 300-500 calories) by eating less and exercising. To get the equivalent reduction in calories through lean muscle mass, you’d need to gain a staggering 23 – 38 pounds of muscle! For many people, this is a feat that is either unwanted, or extremely difficult to achieve.

That said, muscle mass is important. It should be viewed as a valuable tool in your fat loss arsenal and should never be ignored. You should make every effort to preserve your lean muscle mass as it’s very hard to gain. While it should not be viewed as your main tool in losing fat, it’s still a great one. I mean, how many other things will burn fat simply by existing?

Muscle is beneficial to fat loss.

If you do want to burn fat mainly through lean muscle mass, you must think of it as a long term goal. You’ll need to embark on a muscle building program, and eat and train properly. This will be a process that will take you years, so you really have to be dedicated and patient. It’s not something that will have pounds melting off you tomorrow.

Weight training is not just beneficial when looking to gain muscle, it’s also very beneficial when trying to lose fat. No matter what your goal is, weight training should be regularly performed as part of your training regimen.

Combining weight training, cardio exercise, and healthy eating is the best way to lose fat fast. If you can muster up a plan that includes these three fundamentals of fat loss, you won’t have any trouble losing fat.