Why should you care more about muscle than body fat?

Many people focus slowly on losing body fat when it comes to health goals. Undoubtedly, reducing body fat is essential in terms of your overall health.  However, it is equally important to prioritize building and maintaining your muscle mass. In fact, we’re going to discuss how maintaining muscle mass is even far more critical to overall health than losing body fat.

The importance of muscle over fat

Health and well-being are directly related to muscle mass. Muscle mass contributes to metabolic health, improves functional capacity, reduces fracture risk, and improves the quality of life.  I mean who doesn’t want to go to the bathroom by themselves when you’re eighty?  And none of these are a surprise.  They’ve been well documented in research. So let’s hit the highlights. 

• Muscle Helps Boost Metabolism

One reason muscle mass is so critical is that it promotes metabolic health. Research indicates that having more muscle mass reduces the risk of metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

The presence of lean muscle mass can help manage blood sugar, preventing the development of Type 2 diabetes. One 2017 study showed higher muscle mass was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Even when at rest, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. In other words, increasing your muscle mass can increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is how many calories you burn at rest. As a result, it can be easier for people to maintain healthy weights over time.

• Muscle Improves Physical Performance and Functional Capacity

Another reason to prioritize muscle mass over body fat is the potential for muscle loss when attempting to lose weight quickly. Rapid weight loss, such as from a crash diet(aka pouch reset), unfortunately even bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications, can lead to significant muscle loss.  

This is why it’s so important to stay informed and proactive.  You have to be intentional about protecting your muscles with these approaches.  I’ve covered important things to consider when considering GLP-1 medications in my “Naturally increase GLP-1 appetite suppression hormone” and “How to eat for optimal GLP-1 appetite suppression”

Additionally, losing muscle mass can also contribute to weight loss not being maintained in the long term because muscle tissue is crucial to maintain good metabolic health in the long run.

Furthermore, muscle mass is also essential for maintaining functional capacity as we age. As we age, our muscles lose mass and function (known as sarcopenia), resulting in a decline in strength and mobility, making it harder to do everyday tasks.  Keeping muscles strong allows older adults to maintain their independence and quality of life while delaying or preventing the development of sarcopenia.

In fact, muscle mass decreases 3-8% every decade after age thirty. And even higher after the age of sixty. 

Not to mention, a higher amount of muscle mass can improve physical performance in sports, weightlifting, and running. Muscle tissue is responsible for generating force and power, which can enhance your ability to lift heavier weights, run faster, and perform better in sports.

3. Muscle Helps Maintain Bone Density

The mass of your muscles directly impacts the health of your bones as well. It has been shown that the force produced by muscle contraction during exercise stimulates bone growth, which can play a significant role in preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures.

In fact, a recent 2020 study found muscle mass and bone loss is associated with the menopausal transition in females. 

Moreover, osteoporosis and fractures are more likely to occur as you age because your bone density declines. However, building muscle and strength can help maintain and even increase bone density. By doing so, you can reduce the risk of fractures and improve the health of your bones.

4. Muscle Enhances Overall Health

Muscle building can benefit your health in many ways beyond just improving your physical performance. Strength training, for instance, has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control, and cholesterol levels. Additionally, it reduces the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Potential Genetic Factors That Contribute to Muscle Loss

A person’s genetic background may also impact his or her risk of muscle loss and difficulty in regaining lost muscle, although they are not fully understood. 

Some individuals may have a greater genetic predisposition to losing muscle mass with age or when undergoing periods of weight loss. As a result, it becomes even more important to encourage muscle building and maintenance for overall health and longevity in these situations.

Why is Losing Weight at All Costs Not a Good Strategy

Weight loss at any cost is not a good strategy, even though losing body fat is important. Those who lose weight rapidly risk losing muscle, which is bad for their health. It can lead to fatigue, accelerated aging, heart disease, and more. 

A lack of muscle-preserving strategies following bariatric surgery, prolonged fasts, or GLP-1 medications leads to muscle loss. As a result, overall health is adversely affected.

Is Body Fat Percentage Not Always a Reliable Indicator of Health?

Although body fat percentage is often used to measure health, it is not always reliable. For example, some individuals may have a higher body fat percentage due to genetics but still maintain good overall health. On the other hand, some people may have a low body fat percentage but still have poor health habits, like smoking or a sedentary lifestyle.

Does fat provide protection?

Fat reserves are protective in the body and having less fat meant that someone had fewer nutritional stores to weather an illness, making it harder for them to cope. Adipose tissue is vital for hormone regulation.

Which is healthier, fat or muscle?

Muscle is extremely beneficial to your body and overall health, regardless of whether you want to lose weight or build muscle. Despite being denser than fat, muscle promotes metabolism by requiring more calories even at rest.

What is the importance of maintaining muscle mass in your body?

It is important to have strong muscles so that you can move freely and keep your body strong. As a result, you can participate in sports, dance, walk the dog, swim, and do other fun activities. You can also use them to do those other (not-so-fun) things, including making the bed, vacuuming the carpet, and mowing the lawn.

Which one is heavier, body fat or muscle?

You may have heard that muscles weigh more than fat. Science states, however, that muscle and fat weigh the same. It is the density that differentiates the two. Despite weighing the same, there can be a great deal of difference between the sizes of two things.

Which is harder to gain, fat or muscle?

According to a study, gaining muscle is more difficult and time-consuming than gaining fat. Over time, you need to continuously challenge yourself by lifting weights and gradually overloading your muscles.

How to tell if it’s muscle or fat?

Muscles are dense and firm and take up less space than fat. The opposite is true for fat, which is voluminous and takes up more space, which results in tighter clothing. Additionally, gaining weight rapidly or significantly is an indication of body fat accumulation.

Why is lean muscle better?

It is crucial to maintain a lean body mass in order to combat obesity. Despite being at rest, muscles require calories to maintain their function. Therefore, gaining more lean muscle tissue will increase your daily calorie expenditure, decreasing your risk of excessive fat accumulation.

Which burns first, muscle or fat?

The first source of energy for your muscles is stored glycogen. Your body begins burning fat approximately 30 to 60 minutes into aerobic exercise.

How to Build and Maintain Muscle Mass

There are several ways to build and maintain muscle mass, including:

1.Resistance Training

To build and maintain muscle mass, resistance training, also known as strength training or weight lifting, is the most effective method. This is a physical activity in which you use weights or resistance bands to challenge your muscles, causing them to adapt to the challenge and grow stronger as time goes on.

2. Protein Intake

The building and repair of muscle tissue require protein. Therefore, you should ensure your diet contains sufficient protein from high-quality sources of animal or plant origin in order to support muscle growth. 

To support muscle growth and maintenance, work with a provider like myself who can help you determine the appropriate amount of protein your body needs for your health conditions. 

3. Adequate Sleep

The importance of sleep in muscle recovery and growth cannot be overstated. For maximum muscle growth, you should sleep at least 7-8 hours every night.

Conclusion

A person’s overall health requires both reducing body fat and prioritizing muscle mass. Maintaining muscle mass can help prevent metabolic diseases and keep a healthy metabolism, while losing muscle mass can negatively impact overall health and make weight loss more difficult. Fitness routines emphasizing strength training and adequate protein intake can help maintain and build muscle for optimal health and longevity.