Food is the main supplier of energy to the body. Learn how to create a positive energy balance for mass gain. Today there is a lot of talk about proper nutrition. But the energy balance is bypassed. But these are interrelated things. After all, food is the main supplier of energy. Once you understand energy balance, you will learn how to manage your weight. This is what the conversation will be about today.
The essence of the body's energy balance is based on the law of thermodynamics. The incoming energy from food can be stored as chemicals. When the body receives more energy than it needs to maintain life, the energy supply will increase. If there is not enough energy, then the reserves are spent.
What is incoming energy?
Energy is supplied to the body by nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and protein compounds), as well as alcohol. These are the main, but not the only suppliers, as some of the energy comes from the temperature of the food. For example, a mug of hot coffee will not only provide a certain amount of calories, but also warm the body.
The body does not have the ability to store thermal energy in reserve, but it is a full participant in energy metabolism. If you drank a cold drink, the body will expend energy to heat it up to a certain temperature. If the food or drink was hot, then calories will be saved.
All nutrients have a certain caloric value:
- 1 gram of protein compounds - 4 kilocalories;
- 1 gram of carbohydrates - 4 kilocalories;
- 1 gram of fat - 9 kilocalories.
There are also special tables with the calorie content of various foods. However, in practice, say, apples from different trees will differ in their energy value. The situation is similar with compound dishes, say with pilaf.
In a healthy body, nutrients are absorbed with equal efficiency. For example, protein compounds of animal origin have a digestibility of 90–95 percent, and vegetable ones - 80–85 percent. Fat is best absorbed - 95–97 percent. But the absorption of carbohydrates depends on the fiber content and averages from 80 to 95 percent.
Fiber is a mixture of carbohydrates and has a similar calorie content. However, two-thirds of the fiber simply cannot be absorbed and for this reason the actual calorie content is significantly lower, somewhere from 1.3 to 1.5 kilocalories. It should also be noted that when fiber is processed in the digestive tract, a certain amount of vitamins and other nutrients are synthesized. For this, nutrients are consumed and this fact, of course, affects the overall absorption.
For example, if you ate food, the energy value of which is 1000 calories, and there is no fiber in it, then it will differ significantly in the amount of absorbed substances from food of similar calorie content, but rich in fiber. As you can see, calculating the calorie intake in practice is more difficult than many people think.
Energy costs
All energy expended by the body can be divided into several main components:
BX
This is the minimum amount of energy required for the body to function.
Thermal effect of food intake
This effect is caused by the expenditure of energy for processing and assimilating food. It is important to understand, however, that all nutrients have different thermal effects. For example, for protein compounds it is 20-30 percent, and for fat it is 2-3 percent.
From this we can conclude that when using a nutrition program with a high content of protein compounds, energy costs will be higher than for fatty ones. Also, you must remember that the body is able to adapt to any conditions. If you decide to reduce the amount of consumed carbohydrates and fats in order to increase the metabolic rate, then the body will simply reduce the energy expenditure for physical activity.
Physical activity
Any physical activity of a person involves the expenditure of energy. Even during recovery from training, when you are at rest, the body spends energy on it.
And it is precisely in the question of the expenditure of energy resources for physical activity that there are many myths and misconceptions today. Let's say you use less energy during strength training compared to cardio. After exercise, the body spends even less energy resources for recovery.
For this reason, you may not expect a significant increase in metabolism after training. But a lot of energy is spent on everyday activity. However, you can easily guess about this, since you have to do a lot of homework every day.
Maintaining body temperature
It all depends on the conditions in which the person lives. If you are in places with a cold and hot climate, then the energy consumption will differ significantly. If you get sick, even with less food, your metabolism accelerates by an average of 10 percent. If you are losing weight, when combined with a proper diet and exercise program, hardening can help.
How to manage body weight with energy?
The body has the ability to store nutrients for emergencies when energy is insufficient. Let's figure it out.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen, which is found in the muscles and liver. This is the easiest way to store excess glucose. The liver contains an average of 100 to 120 grams of glycogen, and the muscles - 250 to 350 grams. People who are constantly exercising have a higher glycogen store in muscle tissue than those who lead a passive lifestyle.
If you adhere to a low-calorie nutrition program, then it is practically impossible to gain weight during this period, since glycogen stores are small. But you can effectively lose excess weight.
Protein compounds
All body tissues are composed of protein compounds. It is a very powerful source of energy that can be used by the body when needed. First of all, with a calorie deficit, muscle tissue begins to break down.
Fats
It is fats that are the main energy reserve in the human body. Fat is stored very quickly, but it is consumed reluctantly. Best of all, fats can be oxidized in the body of athletes. If a person does not play sports, then this process is very difficult.
For more information on the effect of the body's energy balance on weight, see this video:
