Preventing slowing metabolism: an understanding of the causes and adaptations.

How and why during the fat loss may slow down your metabolism? 6 Tips on bodybuilding coach Cliff Wilson (Cliff Wilson) how to increase fat burning.

I constantly see how seriously undermined the metabolism and metabolic problems are rampant in bodybuilding. Undermine the metabolism - it is, in fact, his sharp slowdown caused by excessive restriction of calories, lots of cardio and stress.



I speak on behalf of all good coaches - in the world there are not many things worse than completely killed the metabolism of your new client. But even worse is when I learn that brought him to this point other coach.
All this upsets me, because before you proceed with the fat burning with a new client, we need to restore its metabolism. It is not an easy task that takes several months to a year. So I officially declare: hours of cardio, pared down to the minimum level of calories - this is not the way to become dry.
Particularly affected by this problem, female. For most women, fat burning is not as easy as men. As a result, many have resorted to drastic measures in an attempt to become thinner.
Only the most motivated men and women suffer from this problem. Nizkomotivirovannye comrades give up long before this level, whereas particularly stubborn will to break ahead and do everything possible to reduce the percentage of body fat. The expression "do everything possible" normal in this sport. Anyone who is "doing everything possible" is ready to starvation and many hours of cardio.

How is slowing metabolism

Let me describe a scenario with which many are familiar. Suppose we have an athlete who is preparing for bodybuilding competitions. He took too much fat in the offseason and did not have time to get in shape. But the issue is acute with time and bodybuilder sits on an aggressive diet. His caloric maintenance in the off-season in 3000, he cut the calories to 1,600 and adds an hour of cardio a day. It really works, and in the first weeks he is losing a few kilos. Eventually, this process is slowed down.
After several weeks of fat loss has stopped, and then our friend who eats an already small, decides to cut the amount of carbohydrates and fats lowered to 20-30 grams per day. Weight again begins to decline, but not as fast as in the beginning. Then again, fat loss stops. Since there is less it can not, then he has no choice but to add more cardio.
Further weight reduction is insignificant and very soon stopped. Bodybuilder very exhausted, he had no forces in training, he eats very little carbohydrates and fats, it has a few hours of cardio a day, but the weight does not change. He still has the fat that should be removed, but he was not lucky. His metabolism is stalled and will not let him burn any more zhirinki.
This is exactly the version of the situation, which leads to a slower metabolism and makes it virtually impossible to further loss of fat.
Now that you understand how this situation arises, we are left with the question of why this is happening and what to do to prevent such a development.

Why is slowing metabolism

Let's get one thing right now. For normal metabolism to slow down during a calorie restricted diet. It's all because of metabolic adaptation. For successful training you need to understand how the body adapts to survive. The human body - is the incredible adaptive machine that will always strive for homeostasis. Regardless of the environment in which the body is placed, it will try to survive them.
If you remember our previous example of a bodybuilder who ate 3,000 calories to maintain your weight and 1600 to lose it. As soon as he lowers calorie, his metabolism starts to slow down. Many people do not realize that the body uses calories for digestion and processing of food. This is called the thermic effect of food. Thus, less food - less energy.
Once the body feels that there is a loss of fat, it starts to lower thyroid hormones and the activity of the nervous system in order to stop the losses. After further reduce calories and increase cardio fat loss will resume, but the body further reduces the hormones and the nervous system. Just drop the testosterone and cortisol levels will rise, and will destroy your muscles. Since the muscles are metabolically active tissue that requires calories to exist, the metabolism is reduced even more.
So why the body is sabotaging all our efforts? It's all about survival. If the body does not adapt to change, it would have had serious problems. If bodybuilder reduced calorie calories from 3000 to 2500, the adjustment would not have arisen, and he could lose weight permanently and not stopping until he had not died. Fortunately, no one dies of hunger by 2500 calories a day (even if they are hungry). So, now it is clear that this is a normal device, necessary for survival.
Always remember that once you make a change to the arrival / calories, your body will immediately begin to take steps to achieve homeostasis.

Slower metabolism, as a vicious circle

From my experience, the failure of metabolism - is a cycle. People ushatyvayut your metabolism during the preparation for the competition, which leads to its serious slowdown. Someone with undermined metabolism generally can not handle a lot of calories. But after the competition, most will have a tendency to excessive overeating, because the restrictions for months they have already got. However, their metabolism can not cope with such a high calorie and fat stored quickly and violently. This leads to the bodybuilder is still more troublesome, because its exchange still lowered.
I noticed that most people who have problems with metabolism, do not become sufficiently dry. As a result, many of them are not happy with their success and once again seek the stage to correct their mistakes. These guys usually spend very little time to prepare for the next competition. As a result, they begin their preparations have reduced metabolism, a lot of fat and lack of time for its combustion. It's a vicious circle.

How to prevent the slowing of metabolism?

Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent these serious changes. At that time, as the metabolism slows down to any diet, it should not lead to a sharp decrease in calories and hours of cardio. This is not only healthy, but also the wrong strategy for weight loss. The following rules for best results.

1. Be patient
Fat loss should not be rapid. We need to spend enough time on a diet. You should lose no more than 900 grams of fat a week, but it's better to stick to the values ​​of 400-600 This ensures that the loss of muscle mass is reduced to a minimum. Remember that muscle tissue is metabolically active, and for its maintenance needs calories. It's a long way to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Another aspect of patience: making small changes in caloric intake better than a sharp decline. Keep in mind, once you change something, reduce or increase cardio carbohydrates, the body begins to adapt to these changes. Every change you make - is your tool in the fight against fat.
Do not use them all at once in the first few weeks. If fat loss has slowed, and you can not further reduce the calories and do more cardio have no strength, you need a trump card up his sleeve to use it when it is needed most.

2. Keep carbohydrates
There is no doubt that if you want to have a low body fat percentage, from time to time it is necessary to reduce the intake of carbohydrates. But this does not mean that they should all be removed. Carbohydrates increase the osmotic pressure within the cell (cellular hydration), thereby increasing its volume.
When muscle cells are filled with the liquid and become bulky, they send a signal to the body that it sated. And the body in such a state maintains a high metabolic rate. Clearly, it is clear that if you eat a lot of carbohydrates, fat that you do not leave, but to continue the fat burning carbohydrates should be in the diet.

3. Use a carbohydrate loading
Carbohydrates help to maintain a high level of metabolism and leptin - the main reason for this. This hormone helps to burn fat, and it depends on the level of carbohydrate intake and body fat. Leptin has many functions, including control of energy consumption.
As we have already noted, for the low percentage of body fat levels of carbohydrates should be lowered. By reducing carbohydrates, fat is reduced, and with it decreases the level of leptin. But this can be combated by a high carbohydrate days. Carbohydrate loading every 4-8 days will help to raise the production of leptin, which is very sensitive to glucose metabolism.
Adding high carbohydrate days will not only increase the level of leptin, but also make a general more positive hormones. This can lead to higher production of thyroid hormones T3 and also help keep the elevated levels of testosterone, promoting further fat burning.

4. Reduce fat intake greatly
Fatty acids are the starting material for the cholesterol of which, in turn, is synthesized testosterone. Accordingly, if the level of fat intake is too low, the fatty acid is not sufficient for the production of testosterone, which will cause it to decrease. Low testosterone leads to loss of muscle mass, and thus to a slower metabolism.
The body has a mechanism of adaptation to chronic low fat intake. When the body senses that fat intake was very low, it starts to stricter to protect their stocks and accumulate more fat. A moderate reduction of fat ensures a calorie deficit to lose weight, but the body at the same time will not perceive it as hunger.

5. Use reverse diet
Changing your diet is to prevent stopping or slowing metabolism, or if you are already in such a situation. Even after the end of the competition should not eat anything and everything, it is necessary to use proper nutrition.
When you add a reverse calorie diet as slowly as reduced them. This will prevent the emergence of a large amount of fat in the first months after the event.
Even the world's best training for the competition will lead to a decrease in metabolism. However, the metabolism can be increased by a systematic and slow addition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. If your metabolism has slowed down, the reverse diet, slowly and methodically, a good way to disperse it.

6. Do not type too much weight in the offseason
Dial a bunch of weight in the offseason - is a direct path to metabolic problems. I have said that excessive adaptation can lead to serious metabolic slowdown. Recent studies have shown that the loss of a huge amount of fat causes severe slowing metabolism rest proportional to weight loss, even if the dry weight is maintained. These adaptations can be saved and supporting calories (Johannsen et al., 2012). Having begun his training in too much weight, the athlete is preparing the ground for the radical measures that are pulling for a metabolic slowdown.
Though all other factors are important, but it all starts in the offseason. You type in the off-season 30 kg and are trying to lose it all in a single preparation. Those who are willing to do whatever is necessary in the off-season will be rewarded on the day of the competition.

All necessary
Do whatever it takes to win, not so bad. The problem is that too few realize that this requires. Hard exercise during the diet - is not an option. Even when you train harder than anyone else, it does not guarantee efficiency. It is also like a marathon. If a marathon of 42 km, some bodybuilders will run on 56, only to say that they vpahivat most.
On top of all, most of them will run in the wrong direction. They work more, but still ranks last. Just blindly to train the hell out - does not work in this case. First, develop a plan, and then tear your ass! And your metabolism will thank you.