How much lighter is fat than muscle? What is heavier - fat or muscle? Why does volume decrease and weight increase? What's heavier: fat or muscle?

Many athletes and people far from this are wondering what is heavier: muscles or fat. There is a sufficient amount of controversial information on this matter.

Fat or weightlifter?

You can often find a common example in comparing fat and muscles: a well-fed person can weigh 100 kg and not look very beautiful, and a bodybuilder who also weighs 100 kg, but has low percentage fat, however, looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Same weight, but different shape. In the first case, the person will seem much larger in size than the second, but meanwhile they have the same weight, so what is the mystery?

Having understood the question “Which is heavier: muscles or fat in a person,” everyone can clearly understand what actions they need to take depending on their goal of building a figure. After all, only having certain knowledge in a certain matter can you competently approach solving a problem.

Fat or muscle - which is heavier?

Having understood this topic, you can clearly understand why such dramatic differences in weight and appearance arise. If we consider the question "is muscle or fat heavier?" from the point of view of cellular structure, the clear answer is that muscles are heavier, since their cells have a higher density compared to fat cells.

Muscle cells contain protein and water, while fat cells contain only fat, or lipids. You don’t need to have any special knowledge of body structure to understand that protein and water, aka muscles, will be much denser in composition than fat.

Functions of fat deposits

Fat is not a useless phenomenon; its critical level poses a threat to health, so you need to take a responsible approach to the process of losing weight. Layers of fat protect internal organs and create an additional source of heat in cold weather, this explains the decrease in metabolism in winter, as the body tries to preserve fat reserves.

Having learned the answer to the question “fat or muscle - which is heavier,” many try in every way to get rid of fat, which exceeds muscle tissue in volume, but it is worth understanding that there is a limit beyond which it is not advisable to go.

The lowest fat level threshold for a woman is 12%, then problems may begin with both appearance, and in a feminine way. Men can feel great with 5% body fat.

However, a high percentage of fat is harmful to the body, since the likelihood of developing diabetes increases, energy decreases, metabolism slows down, and lethargy sets in.

Why doesn't the weight change?

Due to the difference in the weight of muscle and fat, when losing weight, your weight may stay the same. In the process of sports activity, both fat is burned and fat is gained. muscle mass. Because the proportion of body fat may be lower than the proportion of muscle, the effect of stagnant weight change can be created. In other words, two processes occurred simultaneously - fat went away and muscles increased.

Based on this, one should not attach great value numbers on the scales. Visually you can see changes, a decrease in volume in certain areas, but remain at the same weight.

Many people believe that if they work out in the gym, their figure will in any case become athletic, whether they initially have fat or muscles. What is harder - burning lipids or increasing lean mass?

You need to understand that fat does not transfer to muscle. Intense exercise, of course, reduces body fat in a sense, but good results can only be achieved by limiting carbohydrates.

Heavy bones?

An overweight person has a large proportion of body fat, but the proportion of muscle and bone tissue changes slightly. It is inappropriate to believe that weight can increase due to bone growth, since even a 10% change in the proportion of bone tissue leads to an increase in body weight by only 1-1.5 kg.

You can achieve dramatic weight gain if you have physical activity And proper nutrition, since muscles are heavier than fat and bones. Because of this, the athlete will have large muscle mass and weight, respectively. Although, according to the classification of acceptable parameters and weight, he will belong to the overweight group, while having a low percentage of fat reserves.

Today there is a so-called bioimpedance analysis, which allows you to calculate the percentage of muscle and fat tissue in the body. Based on this, we can conclude whether a person needs to lose weight or gain weight.

When wondering whether fat or muscle is heavier, you need to consider many factors that influence weight gain.

In some cases, for example, during premenstrual syndrome in women or with heart disease, weight may increase due to fluid retention in the body. In this case, you need to consult a doctor. But still, almost everyone is overweight due to excess fat.

When understanding the question “Which is heavier: muscle or fat?”, it is important to pay attention not only to weight, but also to the distribution of fat across parts of the body. Thus, a woman, even if she is overweight, can look harmoniously built, which is due to the uniform distribution of fat deposits throughout the body.

The ratio of hips to waist volumes, taken as the norm, for women is 0.7, for men - 1.

Body types

There are two types of figure: for the female type - “pear” and for the male - “apple”.

People belonging to the first type have a concentration of fat in the buttocks and lower abdomen.

Those in the second type have deposits, usually in the upper part of the body. These people are susceptible to obesity, diabetes, ischemia, and atherosclerosis.

You need to be aware that weight does not play a big role; what this weight consists of is much more important. The same weight of fat and muscle will look different. How? - many will ask. For example, 1 kg of muscle occupies a volume 2 times less than 1 kg of fat.

To replace fat with muscle, you need to eat protein and give up harmful products, then you will no longer worry about the question of what is heavier - muscles or fat in a person.

Today it is generally accepted that it is impossible to grow muscles and burn fat at the same time, especially for experienced trainees. However, a number of scientific studies have proven the opposite: this is still possible, but there is a BUT.

There is still considerable debate in the world of fitness and bodybuilding as to whether we are capable of doing these two physiologically opposite things at the same time.

We at Zozhnik long ago placed the text in the “Annals” section, and now we are debunking this unambiguous statement (with subsequent amendments to the said article).

So, when is it possible to simultaneously burn fat and grow muscle mass?

Expert: reducing fat mass and increasing muscle mass at the same time is possible for beginners

First, let's turn to the opinion of one of the leading experts in the fitness industry - Lyle MacDonald. In his article Adding Muscle While Losing Fat, he notes the ability to achieve body recomposition (as they call simultaneous fat burning and muscle growth in the US) for beginners, especially those who have substantial fat reserves.

MacDonald says that when people first start lifting weights, their strength and muscle mass increase rapidly under any conditions. This is all explained by simple logic - previously untrained beginners have untapped potential for growth in strength and muscle mass.

The situation can be compared to two carafes of water of the same volume - one of which is empty (these are beginners), and the second is almost full (experienced trainees). Compared to a full carafe, an empty carafe will hold much more water (it has more potential to hold a larger volume of liquid).

Based on observations, MacDonald concludes that beginners are able to grow muscle tissue even on a calorie deficit (due to which fat tissue is lost) - after all, their muscles previously did not receive a stimulus for growth and therefore have a greater reserve than that of trained athletes.

Another case that MacDonald talks about is people returning to strength training after a long break. During a break in strength training, people who previously trained not only decrease their strength indicators, but also lose some muscle tissue due to the fact that the muscles have not received a training stimulus for quite a long time to maintain their volume (not to mention growth). In addition to this, during the break, the percentage of body fat increases in people who refuse to train. As a result, a person who had given up training for a long time took a few steps back and thus freed up space in an almost full jug.

4 Studies Show Simultaneous Muscle Gain and Fat Loss in Beginners

First, let's look at studies that confirm that beginners (especially those with a lot of excess weight) are able to simultaneously grow muscle and get rid of fat.

Study #1

Back in 1993, specialists from the University of Nebraska volunteered to find out whether muscle hypertrophy was possible under conditions of energy deficiency.

Organization of the study: For 3 months, scientists observed 14 obese men. The participants were divided into 2 groups of 7 people: the first did not train, and the second group did weight training.

To compare the results before the start of the experiment and after its completion, a biopsy was taken from all participants (sampling a piece of tissue for further study) from the vastus lateralis muscle of the thigh.

Results : in 90 days both groups lost an average of 16 kg of weight, of which 24% were lean mass, and 76% were fat mass. However, compared to the group that did not exercise, in the second group, the cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis muscle increased significantly.

Conclusion : In obese beginners, along with significant weight loss and reduction in body fat percentage, strength training during caloric restriction can lead to muscle growth.

Study #2

In 2000, the journal Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism presented an experiment by Boston specialists, the purpose of which was to study the effect of combining low-calorie diets with increased amount squirrel and strength training on body composition in overweight people.

Organization of the study: A randomized 12-week study involved 38 overweight people, who were divided into 3 groups:

Group No. 1 adhered to only a calorie deficit, receiving less than 20% of the weight maintenance level,
Group No. 2 combined the same hypocaloric diet with strength training and high protein intake (1.5 g/kg body weight) using a protein supplement - hydrolyzed casein,
Group 3 followed the same plan as Group 2, but instead of casein, they consumed hydrolyzed whey protein.

Results: After 12 weeks of the trial, participants in all 3 groups lost an average of about 2.5 kg of weight.

Diet group 1 experienced an average decrease in body fat percentage from 27% to 25% (-2% difference).

Group 2 (diet + training + casein) reduced their fat percentage from an average of 26% to 18% (8% difference).

Group 3 (diet + training + whey protein) reduced their body fat percentage from 27% to 23% (4% difference).

In terms of muscle tissue, the first group remained unchanged, while the casein group gained an average of 4 kg of muscle and the whey protein group gained 2 kg of muscle.

Conclusion: From this study, we can once again conclude that overweight beginners are capable of achieving body recomposition, especially if they consume sufficient amounts of protein.

Study #3

Next, consider a 2011 study conducted by scientists from McCaster University in Ontario. The researchers' goal was to find out how daily exercise (strength and/or aerobic) and a low-calorie diet with varying amounts of protein and calcium would affect body composition in overweight or obese women.

Organization of the study: 90 overweight or obese women took part in a randomized study lasting 16 weeks, who were divided into 3 groups:

1. Group with high protein intake and dairy product(30% protein, of which 15% came from dairy product),
2. Group with moderate protein and dairy product consumption (15% and 7.5%),
3. Group with moderate protein intake and low dairy product intake (15% and<2%).

All participants were in conditions of energy deficiency at the level minus 500 kcal from maintenance level.

The subjects combined aerobic and strength training, training 5 times a week under supervision, and on the weekends they worked out independently. The workouts were designed in such a way that about 250 kcal were consumed in one session.

Results : All 3 groups lost an average of 4.3 kg of weight, with participants in the first group (high protein diet with plenty of calcium) losing more fat than the others between 8 and 16 weeks.

Along with the fat loss, the first group experienced an increase in muscle mass, especially between 8 and 16 weeks.

The amount of muscle tissue in the group that consumed 15% protein with 7.5% from dairy remained unchanged.

The group that consumed moderate amounts of protein and little calcium did not retain, but instead lost, an average of 0.7 kg of muscle tissue.

Conclusion : A calorie-deficit diet combined with strength training, adequate protein, and increased dairy intake is associated with greater improvements in body composition in women, characterized by greater loss of visceral and subcutaneous fat and growth of lean muscle tissue. The possibility of muscle growth while losing fat in overweight beginners is once again confirmed.

Study #4

Finally, to conclude the block on simultaneous fat burning and muscle growth in beginners, we present one of the latest studies, which was presented this year in the January issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The purpose of the experiment: to determine how increased protein intake during a severe calorie deficit and in combination with strength training will affect body composition.

The study lasted 4 weeks. 40 overweight men were divided into 2 groups of 20 people: the first consumed 1.2 g of protein, and the second - 2.4 g of protein per 1 kg of weight. In addition, all participants significantly limited their caloric intake to 40% of what they needed to maintain their weight.

Each week, all subjects trained as follows:

– 2 days – circuit strength training of 3 sets of 10 repetitions with the last set performed to failure,

– 2 cardio workouts of moderate and high intensity,

– 1 test training on a bicycle ergometer for a while,

– 1 circuit plyometric workout using your own body weight.

Immediately after training, participants consumed a serving of whey protein.

Results : Participants in the high protein group (despite a significant calorie deficit) gained an average of 1.2 kg of muscle mass over 4 weeks, while participants in the control group (who consumed half as much protein) had almost the same amount of muscle mass. unchanged. Additionally, the group consuming 2.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight lost an average of 4.8 kg of fat mass, while the control group lost 3.5 kg.

In addition, the scientists noted that training at a fairly high intensity (participants performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise) could also make a significant contribution to the results.

Conclusion : In the short term, in overweight beginners, even with a significant calorie deficit, muscle growth is possible if high protein intake is combined with strength training.

What about the experienced ones? Is it possible to burn fat and grow muscle at the same time for those who have been doing strength training for a long time?

In his book The Ultimate Diet 2.0, MacDonald notes that once people move from beginner to advanced, they find it extremely difficult to achieve body recomposition.

However, the expert notes that if a person maintains a very small energy deficit (minus 200 kcal per day from the maintenance level) in combination with intense strength training, it is possible that in tiny steps he can still grow muscle and burn fat at the same time. However, Lyle emphasizes that at some point, experienced trainees reach a point in developing muscle mass or reducing the percentage of body fat at which the simultaneous burning of fat and muscle growth becomes clearly impossible.

4 studies with experienced trainees

Of course, Lyle MacDonald’s opinion is extremely authoritative (especially since the specialist refers to physiology and research data), but in order to finally dispel readers’ doubts that body recomposition in experienced trainees is not a closed question, let’s turn to specific scientific data.

Experienced Study No. 1

In 2012, a group of scientists (Paoli et al.) conducted an experiment, the purpose of which was to test how a keto diet (low carbohydrate) would affect training performance indicators in professional gymnasts.

Organization of the study: 8 professional artistic gymnasts weighing about 70 kg took part in the study lasting 1 month. During the experiment, the athletes maintained their usual training volume, devoting about 30 hours per week to training. The subjects' diet consisted of foods such as beef, veal, poultry, fish, ham, eggs, and Parmesan. The athletes also ate raw and cooked green vegetables, which were consumed without restriction.

The total amount of carbohydrates during the experiment was only 22 grams.

Participants consumed a lot of protein: about 2.8 grams per 1 kg of body weight. In addition, the athletes took herbal extracts daily, as well as 1 capsule of a multivitamin.

Results : at the end of the experiment, the weight of the athletes decreased on average from 69.6 kg to 68 kg (naturally with a calorie deficit), fat mass decreased on average from 5.3 kg to 3.4 kg. Accordingly, the percentage of fat decreased from 7.6% to 5%, and muscle mass slightly, but still increased - from an average of 37.6 kg to 37.9 kg.

It is important to note that, unlike many other professional athletes, gymnasts do not typically use anabolic steroids, so the likelihood that muscle growth in these experienced athletes while burning fat was due to pharmacological use is minimized.

On the issue of steroids. Former gymnast and coach of the USA National Junior Gymnastics team, Christopher Sommer, in his interview for the T-Nation resource, noted that it is very important for gymnasts to develop explosive strength whenever possible without a large increase in muscle mass. Therefore, they do not take anabolic drugs: steroids stimulate muscle growth and can only reduce absolute strength, which will negatively affect the gymnast’s results.

Conclusion : Scientists have concluded that athletes who adhere to the keto diet are able to improve body composition without the negative impact of this dietary approach on training performance. It is worth noting that the study lasted only 30 days; In addition, scientists talk about the main drawback of the experiment, namely the very modest number of participants.

Experienced Study No. 2

The following study involving experienced exercisers was presented in 2015 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. The purpose of the experiment was to determine how consuming very high amounts of protein (3.4 g/1 kg body weight) in combination with strength training using the principle of periodization would affect body composition, training performance, and the health of men and women with experience in strength training .

The experiment, which lasted 8 weeks, involved 48 men and women with an average body weight of 74.5 kg, who were divided into 2 groups:

1. The normal protein intake group (women and men with an average of 2.4 years of strength training experience) consumed an average of 2.3 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight,
2. The high protein group (women and men with an average of 4.9 years of strength training experience) consumed an average of 3.4 g of protein per kg of body weight.

Note that, relative to their usual diet, compared to the first group, the group with high protein intake generally consumed significantly more protein and calories.

All participants trained 5 days a week using periodization to increase muscle mass and strength.

Results : Despite the significantly lower amount of calories and protein consumed compared to the second group, group 1 gained an average of 1.3 kg of total weight, while the second not only did not increase its weight, but also decreased it by an average of 100 grams.

Moreover, the first group on average lost significantly less fat mass - minus 0.3 kg versus minus 1.6 kg in the group with high protein intake. On a percentage basis, the normal protein intake group reduced their body fat percentage by an average of 0.6%, while the high protein intake group reduced their fat mass percentage by an average of 2.4%. Both groups also gained 1.5 kg of muscle mass.

The results are presented in the table below:

*NP – group consuming 2.3 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight, HP – group consuming 3.4 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight, BW – total body weight, FFM – lean mass, FM – fat mass, % BF – body fat percentage.

Despite the findings, this study does not provide a 100% answer to the question of whether people with experience in strength training are able to grow muscle and burn fat at the same time.

Researchers mention an individual (genetic) component in response to training and eating style. For example, in both groups there were people who gained up to 7 kg of lean mass and lost up to 4 kg of fat. There were also participants who lost muscle and gained fat. This once again confirms the idea that each of us is individual - some are able to achieve body recomposition even after several years of strength training, while others are not.

Experienced Study No. 3

We also note that a year earlier, a group of scientists led by the same researcher, Jose Antonio, conducted an almost identical study. The only difference was that people with more impressive experience in strength training took part (on average 8.9 years); They also did not use the principle of periodization during the experiment and took 1.8 g or 4.4 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight.

As a result, the scientists found that the group with lower protein intake gained both lean (1.3 kg) and fat mass (0.3 kg), and the group that consumed 4.4 g of protein lost 0.2 kg of fat mass and gained 1.9 kg lean. However, again, the organization of the study left much to be desired.

Experienced Study No. 4

In conclusion, let’s present another study in which professional athletes took part. In this case, the scientists set out to study how a mild (average minus 469 kcal/day) or severe (minus 791 kcal) energy deficit combined with strength training would affect body composition, strength and power in professional athletes.

At the end of the experiment, both groups of participants significantly reduced the percentage of body fat, while the group with a moderate calorie deficit increased muscle mass by 1.7-2.5%, while the group with a severe calorie deficit remained almost the same as before research.

24 professional athletes took part in the experiment, but these were football players, volleyball players, hockey players, taekwondo players, cyclists, gymnasts, biathletes, track and field athletes and other athletes, but not strength athletes.

Note that the specifics of the sports presented above do not imply mandatory (and regular) training with barbells and exercise machines, so it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that they did not use their potential for muscle growth to a significant extent.

As you can see, with experienced trainees everything is much more complicated - there are few studies, and they all leave more questions than answers. However, the trend is noticeable.

Conclusions :

In general, we can come to the conclusion that simultaneous fat burning and muscle growth is possible both for beginners and for people who have taken a long break from strength training.

As for experienced trainees, the question here is more open than closed: it is impossible to say 100% that they can simultaneously grow muscles and get rid of fat mass, however, statements that body recomposition in experienced trainees is in principle impossible are not entirely true. correct.

Based on the findings and the scientists' comments, at least one long-term study in a clinical setting (where participants are closely monitored by scientists) with a good sample of experienced exercisers will be needed in the future to definitively answer the critical question of whether people who have passed the stage are able to for a beginner, how to grow muscle and lose fat at the same time?

Those who most likely cannot expect to burn fat and grow muscle at the same time are people who have reached their ceiling in muscle growth and a very low percentage of body fat.

Please note that in this material we only presented the available scientific data and opinions of recognized experts, and did not just baselessly try to undermine the established opinion that experienced athletes cannot grow muscle and burn fat at the same time. We continue to wait for well-designed studies that specifically examine the issue of body recomposition in experienced trainees.

Sources:

L. McDonald, The Ultimate Diet 2.0,
Adding Muscle While Losing Fat – Q&A, bodyrecomposition.com,
E. Helms, Can You Gain Weight In A Calorie Deficit, muscleandstrengthpyramids.com,
Donnelly J. E., Sharp T. et al., Muscle hypertrophy with large-scale weight loss and resistance training, Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Oct;58(4):561-5,
Demling R. H., DeSanti L., Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers, Ann Nutr Metab. 2000;44(1):21-9,
Garthe, I. G., Raastad, T. et al., Effect of Two Different Weight-Loss Rates on Body Composition and Strength and Power-Related Performance in Elite Athletes, International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 21, 97-104,
Josse A. R., Atkinson S. A. et al., Increased consumption of dairy foods and protein during diet- and exercise-induced weight loss promotes fat mass loss and lean mass gain in overweight and obese premenopausal women, J Nutr. 2011 Sep;141(9):1626-34,
Increased consumption of dairy foods and protein during diet- and exercise-induced weight loss promotes fat mass loss and lean mass gain in overweight and obese premenopausal women, EAS Academy,
T. M. Longland, S. Y. Oikawa et al., Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficiency combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial, Am J Clin Nutr March 2016 vol. 103 no. 3 738-746,
J. Antonio, A. Ellerbroek et al., A high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women – a follow-up investigation, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2015, doi: 10.1186/s12970-015-0100-0,
J. Antonio, C. A. Peacock et al., The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition2014, doi: 10.1186/1550- 2783-11-19,
All Muscle, No Iron, T-Nation.

Let's just say that I'm already sick of questions about weight. A kilogram of fat = a kilogram of muscle, but muscle is actually bulkier and denser than fat. Just look on the Internet for a picture comparing 500g of fat and muscle. The difference will amaze you.

You've probably noticed how different girls of the same age, height and weight look. So I post a girl who is 164 cm tall and weighs 60 kg, and in the comments “wow? Why do I weigh the same, but look completely different? Or I post a girl who lost weight from 73 to 63, and they write to me “why can’t you see the 10 kg difference?” But because the latter’s muscle mass can be as big as a piece of cake, just like the difference in the ratio of muscle to fat among the first commentators.

All you need to remember are general numbers that you can apply to yourself. They were not invented by me, of course. In the first year of lifting weights, a woman can grow approximately 4-5 kg of muscle mass (all this must be done regularly and monitored by body composition analysis). The second year of regular exercise is only 2.2-2.7 kg of muscle mass per year. In the third year, even less: 1-1.5 kg of muscle. And if you have extensive training experience plus 4 years in the gym, you have an inevitable “plateau” compared to the potential of a beginner - 400-700g of muscle per year.

Muscle mass requires dedication, regularity and good recovery. It’s easier not to even start if you are not capable of regularity. No amount of steroids will help if you are undernourished, sleep deprived and train once every 2 weeks. If you are used to starving and always losing weight, if for you a beautiful body is thin in a dress, and not elastic and smooth when undressed on the beach, then I have bad news for you - you will not succeed. If you are ready to change, accumulate fat along with muscles, gain gradually and not jerk off your coach with questions “why haven’t I changed in 3 months,” then you have a chance.

There is another nuance in mass gain. It deals specifically with plateaus or slow growth with experience. The point is that our body is not rubber, and it also has a limit. Genetic potential, blah blah blah, unlimited possibilities, glorified by NIKE, but the body gets tired. If you push yourself through cycles of bulking and cutting for years, your body will probably give up. Stupid people with a deformed psyche will resort to farming to constantly sell ass pumpers with a rubber band, smarter people will support what exists, but it also has its own subtleties.

In short, to sum it up: building muscle is hard work. If you cannot train regularly, have problems with sleep, eating, and are not psychologically ready to gain muscle and fat (which is inevitable), then mass is not for you.

If you don’t understand why 2 girls of the same age, height, weight look different, re-read the first paragraph. Once again: the ratio of water, muscle and fat may be different for them. You can find out everything about yourself by doing a body composition analysis. That's the only way. Therefore, do not pay attention to the weight, unless it is 80-100kg, of course.

If you want to lose weight, then you should remember a few facts from your school anatomy textbook. Learn more about the ratio of fat to muscle tissue in the body.

When a person eats right and exercises hard to lose weight, his mood depends on the numbers on the scale screen. If the indicator remains the same, then the motivation to train weakens. No one wants to sweat on a treadmill and lift heavy dumbbells if the effect is the same as watching a TV series while lying on the couch. Don’t upset yourself ahead of time, we suggest you look into this issue.

Cardio and strength training can help you both lose fat and gain muscle, but no one can say for sure how long it will take for this to happen. Therefore, the constant indicators on the scales does not mean that all efforts are in vain. Remember that muscle tissue is much denser than fat, which is why a kilogram of fat will be much larger than a kilogram of muscle, but their mass remains equal.

What weighs more - muscle or fat?

There is a joke saying that a kilogram of muscle weighs more than a kilogram of fat. Any adult understands that their weight is the same; this expression only shows that a kilogram of adipose tissue will be four times larger than a kilogram of fat. The opposite situation also happens: you may feel that you have gained significant weight, but your weight will remain unchanged and will not increase. This phenomenon is often found among older people due to the fact that with age, muscles recover much more slowly, older people move less, which is why the amount of fatty tissue in the body can increase.

Excessive amounts of fat deposits can cause a huge number of dangerous diseases, primarily stroke, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. It will be very difficult to say with accuracy how much muscle and fat tissue should be present in the body of a particular person. This ratio will depend on many factors, including lifestyle, lack or presence of physical activity. In any case, a noticeable layer of fat is undesirable, as is a deficiency of adipose tissue. In women, an insufficient amount of adipose tissue leads to reproductive dysfunction.

In order for a person to be healthy and lead an active lifestyle, he should maintain the required amount of muscle and fat tissue. But body weight is not only muscles and fat, it consists of the mass of bones, internal organs, and nervous tissue. Also, biological fluids have a certain weight, their level constantly fluctuates, so experts do not recommend weighing yourself too often.

Use a measuring tape rather than a scale to track your progress, and pay attention to your clothing size.

A person’s weight at 50 years old may remain the same as it was at 25, but their build will be completely different. If in youth body mass was dominated by muscles, then with age there is more fatty tissue. The statement that with properly structured sports training, fat mass will be converted into muscle mass is a fallacy. It's stupid to believe this, you don't believe that bones can become brains. Tissues of different structures cannot transform into each other; during active sports training, the natural destruction of excess fat deposits and the formation of new muscle tissue occurs, but these are separate processes.

After 30 years, the body begins to accumulate fat mass faster and lose muscle mass, metabolism becomes slower, and a person loses less energy. However, there is no need to evaluate this mechanism as a death sentence; there are many ways to stay fit and active at any age. First of all, you need to continue to play sports; the older a person gets, the more important it is for him to be physically active. Training should take place under the guidance of a specialist; the trainer will take into account all the physiological parameters of his ward and select the level of load.

How to track the ratio of fat and muscle tissue in your body?

Modern electronic analyzer scales determine not only a person’s weight, but also the amount of fat and muscle tissue in his body, as well as the water level. If you do not play sports professionally, then the indicators of such scales will be quite sufficient. You'll be able to track muscle growth and fat burning, and you'll also stay hydrated.

Monitoring the water level is very important, because significant weight loss can occur due to water loss. For example, many people use rubber equipment for training and after each session they boast that they have lost two kilograms in an hour. There is nothing to be proud of, they lose not fat, but water. Professional athletes always weigh themselves before and after exercise to determine how much water they are losing and then rehydrate. If you lost two kilograms during training, then within two hours after it you should drink three liters of water, if a kilogram, then one and a half liters. The lost mass is multiplied by one and a half; this amount of fluid must be returned to the body to speed up recovery processes.

Is losing weight quickly safe?

If we are talking specifically about adipose tissue, then losing up to 500 grams of fat per week will be safe. Losing weight faster will be dangerous to your health, and the pounds lost quickly come back at the same speed. The body is not ready for drastic changes; in an effort to return everything to normal, it will return to its previous form in the shortest possible time.

Use the readings of analyzer scales, and then you will know for sure whether you are losing weight or not. Even if the overall figure remains unchanged, but in the ratio of muscle and fat tissue there is an advantage in favor of muscles, this will mean that the process has started. There is no need to give up training because the weight is not decreasing; continue swimming, running, doing fitness or any other favorite sport. Move away from measurements in kilograms, replace them with centimeters in volume, the number of approaches and repetitions of the exercise.

Many athletes and people far from this are wondering what is heavier: muscles or fat. There is a sufficient amount of controversial information on this matter.

Fat or weightlifter?

You can often find a common example in the comparison of fat and muscle: a well-fed person can weigh 100 kg and not look very beautiful, and a bodybuilder who also weighs 100 kg, but has a low percentage of fat, nevertheless looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Same weight, but different shape. In the first case, the person will seem much larger in size than the second, but meanwhile they have the same weight, so what is the mystery?

Fat or muscle - which is heavier?

Functions of fat deposits

Fat is not a useless phenomenon; its critical level poses a threat to health, so you need to take a responsible approach to the process of losing weight. Layers of fat protect internal organs and create an additional source of heat in cold weather, which explains the decrease in metabolism in winter as the body tries to conserve fat reserves.

Having learned the answer to the question “fat or muscle - which is heavier”, many try in every way to get rid of fat, which exceeds in volume; however, it is worth understanding that there is a limit beyond which it is not advisable to go.

The lowest fat level threshold for a woman is 12%, after which problems may begin with both appearance and womanhood. Men can feel great with 5% body fat.

However, a high percentage of fat is harmful to the body, since the likelihood of developing diabetes increases, energy decreases, metabolism slows down, and lethargy sets in.

Why doesn't the weight change?

Due to the difference in the weight of muscle and fat, when losing weight, your weight may stay the same. In the process of sports activity, both fat is burned and muscle mass is built. Because the proportion of body fat may be lower than the proportion of muscle, the effect of stagnant weight change can be created. In other words, two processes occurred simultaneously - fat went away and muscles increased.

Based on this, you should not attach great importance to the numbers on the scales. Visually you can see changes, a decrease in volume in certain areas, but remain at the same weight.

You need to understand that fat does not transfer to muscle. Intense exercise, of course, reduces body fat in a sense, but good results can only be achieved by limiting carbohydrates.

Heavy bones?

An overweight person has a large proportion of body fat, but the proportion of muscle and bone tissue changes slightly. It is inappropriate to believe that weight can increase due to bone growth, since a change of even 10% in the proportion of bone tissue leads to only 1-1.5 kg.

You can achieve dramatic weight gain with exercise and proper nutrition, since muscles are heavier than fat and bones. Because of this, the athlete will have large muscle mass and weight, respectively. Although, according to the classification of acceptable parameters and weight, he will belong to the overweight group, while having a low percentage of fat reserves.

Today there is a so-called bioimpedance analysis, which allows you to calculate the percentage of muscle mass in the body. Based on this, we can conclude whether a person needs to lose weight or gain weight.

When wondering whether fat or muscle is heavier, you need to consider many factors that influence weight gain.

The ratio of hips to waist volumes, taken as the norm, for women is 0.7, for men - 1.

Body types

There are two for the female type - "pear" and for the male - "apple".

People belonging to the first type have a concentration of fat in the buttocks and lower abdomen.

Those in the second type have deposits, usually in the upper part of the body. These people are susceptible to obesity, diabetes, ischemia, and atherosclerosis.

To replace fat with muscles, you need to eat protein and give up unhealthy foods, then you will no longer worry about what is heavier - muscles or fat in a person.