The biochemical core of exercise-based weight loss: the dual aspects of energy balance theory, metabolic transformation, and scientific fat reduction.
Exercise is currently recognized as the healthiest and most effective way to lose weight. Its basic principle is to promote fat burning through exercise, thereby reducing fat accumulation, while ensuring the body receives the necessary basic energy and nutrients. According to the theory of energy balance, the fundamental principle of exercise for weight loss is that energy expenditure exceeds energy intake during exercise, creating an energy deficit. The basic requirement for exercise-based weight loss is that energy intake must meet the body's basic energy needs, and energy expenditure is primarily achieved through accelerating the breakdown of body fat through exercise.
The normal human body obtains its energy and essential substances primarily from food and beverages. Energy expenditure is related to metabolism, physical activity, growth and development, and the thermic effect of food. During childhood and adolescence, metabolism and energy metabolism show a positive balance, meaning that the intake of essential substances and energy exceeds the amount consumed to ensure the normal growth and development needs for nutrients and energy. In adulthood, metabolism and energy metabolism remain in a relatively stable state for a considerable period. However, in old age, metabolism and energy metabolism slowly enter a negative balance.
Human metabolism, both material and energy, must remain relatively stable over a certain period. Insufficient intake of essential substances and energy will obviously affect the growth, development, and metabolism of children and adolescents. Even obese individuals require sufficient essential substances and energy to maintain normal metabolism. Therefore, using excessive dieting for weight loss is extremely detrimental to health. The energy substances ingested by the human body include three types: carbohydrates (sugars), fats, and proteins.
Carbohydrates (starch) are broken down into smaller monosaccharides (glucose) in the digestive tract by digestive enzymes and absorbed into the bloodstream. This process helps maintain relative blood sugar balance and also allows glucose to be synthesized in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is the storage form of sugar, but the amount stored in the body is not large. If sugar intake exceeds the body's needs, the excess sugar will be converted into fat and stored in the body. Protein is the most important structural building block of the human body and is also the raw material for synthesizing many active substances in the body, such as hormones, enzymes, and receptors.
Although protein breakdown can provide energy, the body does not primarily use protein as its energy source. There is no excess protein storage in the body; any protein exceeding the body's needs will be converted into fat for energy storage. Therefore, during exercise-based weight loss, food intake must meet the body's essential requirements-neither too little nor too much. Exercise-based weight loss primarily reduces the body's stored fat.
If you don't control your food intake during exercise for weight loss, the amount of stored fat produced will offset the amount of fat burned during exercise, resulting in almost no weight loss. Therefore, strict control of food intake is essential during exercise to achieve noticeable weight loss. Even after successfully losing weight through exercise, it's still important to maintain a healthy diet and physical activity to prevent recurrence of obesity. Thus, weight loss through exercise involves two fundamental elements: first, scientific exercise; second, a balanced diet.
Scientific exercise refers to using certain physical activities or training methods to make the body's fat the primary energy source. In this process, the energy required for exercise is mainly produced by the breakdown and metabolism of fat. A balanced diet, on the other hand, follows certain dietary principles to meet both the body's needs for nutrients and energy. The basic principles of a balanced diet are: a variety of foods, controlled total intake, and a reasonable combination of nutrients.