-Diablo's Journal, 16 Oct 18

Funny how the lean can come out and the weight go up at the same time. It's the tides. I swear it's the tides. 

IDK, I don't really care about the weight when I am looking leaner. I'll only become concerned when my lifting belt gets tighter. It was comfy today. :) I really think it's because I quit running so I am not sweating out the sodium that I usually do so I am just holding more water than normal. If I can get as lean as I thought I would be at 165 but instead only have to get down to 170, that will be a win. 

And I quit running because I hate doing it in the cold, lol! Ugh. 

Diablo360x. Remember that the kidneys are the main way our total body sodium is regulated. What we consume is not the final word on body composition. 

Burning through less glycogen is most likely the better explanation than what I said about sodium. Thanks for the correction. 

Running 2 hours like I did to get ready for that tough Mudder probably depleted a lot. After that I was still doing 1 hour. Now I do zero lol 

I don't think so. They are just topped up all the time with zero cardio, haha. Of course, my 1.5 hour workouts prob deplete a good amount just not all. 

Chrisw77 The body stores glycogen in 2 places, the liver (~400 kcals) and muscle (~1500 kcals) for immediate energy generation. Glycogen is more quickly converted to energy than fat. Liver glycogen metabolism supports blood glucose while muscle glycogen is used only by muscle itself. The body continuously replaces glycogen stores for the next time very quick energy generation is needed. This has a high biologic priority meaning the body “sees” this as a “task” more important than many others. Glycogen stores do not shrink. I am a pharmacist whose clinical specialty over 40 years was how cells use energy, I call this nutritional biochemistry.  

keto...more like kenever. lol 

"wet weight" 💧💧💧🏋️😁 

Oh yeah, I've lived that scenario a LOT...  

Chrisw77 I am so pleased that you are interested in this topic. One of the major things we learned when evaluating patients who required intravenous nutrition was that the body has its own agenda that is, in the main, uninfluenced by what its fed in the short run. Put another way, what the body is fed is not “first up” in utilization. Glycogen is used when energy is needed very quickly ... think of a sprinter coming out of the blocks. If running continues over time, fat becomes the primary energy source but the runner cannot continue to maintain the sprint because glycogen runs out. Carbohydrates do not need to be consumed for the body to replace glycogen stores. The body breaks down fat and protein to generate glucose that is then converted to glycogen. This happens quickly whether the body is fed or not because being able to sprint away from danger has a high biologic priority. 

Diablo360x and Chrisw77 The vast majority of the time, muscles use fat for energy. Glycogen is used to fuel a “quick start” like coming out of the blocks for the 100 yard dash. The body does not necessarily use glycogen until it is used up before converting to fat for energy. Whether it does or doesn’t is probably irrelevant for your purposes. Steady effort burns fat ..... running out of a burning building burns glycogen. 

When muscles are used strenuously, muscle glycogen is used. I use my muscles strenuously on every set. But yeah, it really matters not the same way being in ketosis matters not for fat loss. 

And last I remember you never really use 100% of any energy source. All sources are working at all times but one is being used more depending on the activity. Even a sprinter is using a small percentage of fat. 

Diablo360x I am not sure that I agree that muscle glycogen is used continuously during strenuous exercise. Glycogen is used for immediate access to energy when the body’s situation changes suddenly and drastically. Prolonged exercise is not a sudden and drastic need for energy. Yes, glycogen gets the sprinter off the blocks but fat is gearing up to be used fairly quickly. A long distance runner transitions to fat. Gee .... keto adherents love, love, love ketones for energy and they are the byproduct of fat metabolism. I am happy that we agree that, while these issues are terribly interesting, they are not important in determining how to exercise. 

I just checked pubmed to back up my memory. I've already closed the tabs but you're free to look yourself. 

Let's just keep it simple 😉💪🏻 Low intensity - > fat High intensity - > glycogen  

I've been lifting weights since 1984, and I noticed most of the other lifters, and myself: doing intermittent strenuous lifting. Lifting weights is never a long term exercise, like running. It's sets of 3 to 12 reps, then a rest, then another set of 3 to 12, and so on. Resting in between is very likely restoring the glucose?? sometimes we do supersets, switching quickly from one muscle group to another... but same thing applies, different muscles, different glucose stores. I spend up to 1.5 hours lifting at the health clubs, like Diablo mentioned, but most of it is NOT lifting. it's lifting, resting, talking, lifting,... resting, showering... :) I like lifting since it burns fat when I'm resting! A popular radio host, a woman, in this area, promoting lifting instead of overdoing cardio, for women (& men) said: "you will burn more fat laying down next to your treadmill, after building more muscle, than you did before when USING the treadmill." She's right! 

Well yeah, I meant during the actual lifting portion. My eyes get bloodshot and my face isn't pretty lol. During that phase, I'd say muscle glycogen is being used. :P