The Incredible Shrinking Fat Cell


What Really Happens When Body Fat is Burned?


By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

Earlier this week someone in our discussion forum wrote, "I haven't "LOST" any fat... I know EXACTLY
where it went! I got a chuckle out of that because I "got" the joke,
but truth is, most people really don't know how fat cells work, how the
fat burning process takes place or where the fat goes when it's burned.
It's actually quite a complex biochemical process, but I'll explain it
as simply as possible, so by the end of this article, you'll be a "fat
burning" expert!

When you "lose" body fat, the fat cell (also called an adipocyte)
does not go anywhere or "move into the muscle cell to be burned. The
fat cell itself, (unfortunately) stays right where it was - under the
skin in your thighs, stomach, hips, arms, etc., and on top of the
muscles - which is why you can't see muscle "definition" when your body
fat is high.

Fat is stored inside the fat cell in the form of triaglycerol.
The fat is not burned right there in the fat cell, it must be liberated
from the fat cell through somewhat complex hormonal/enzymatic pathways.
When stimulated to do so, the fat cell simply releases its contents
(triaglycerol) into the bloodstream as free fatty acids (FFA's), and
they are transported through the blood to the tissues where the energy
is needed.

A typical young male adult stores about 60,000 to
100,000 calories of energy in body fat cells. What triggers the release
of all these stored fatty acids from the fat cell? Simple: When your
body needs energy because you're consuming fewer calories than you are
burning (an energy deficit), then your body releases hormones and
enzymes that signal your fat cells to release your fat reserves instead
of keeping them in storage.

For stored
fat to be liberated from the fat cell, hydrolysis (lipolysis or fat
breakdown), splits the molecule of triaglycerol into glycerol and three
fatty acids. An important enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL)
is the catalyst for this reaction. The stored fat (energy) gets
released into the bloodstream as FFA's and they are shuttled off to the
muscles where the energy is needed. As blood flow increases to the
active muscles, more FFA's are delivered to the muscles that need them.

An important enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL),
then helps the FFA's get inside the mitochondria of the muscle cell,
where the FFA's can be burned for energy. If you've ever taken a
biology class, then you've probably heard of the mitochondria. This is
the "cellular powerhouse" where energy production takes place and this
is where the FFA's go to be burned for energy.

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When the FFA's are released from the fat cell, the
fat cell shrinks and that's why you look leaner when you lose body fat
- because the fat cell is now smaller. A small or "empty" fat cell is
what you're after if you want the lean, defined look.

It was once believed that the number of fat cells
could not increase after adulthood, only the size of the fat cells
could increase (or decrease). We now know that fat cells can indeed
increase both in size (hypertrophy) and in number (hyperplasia) and
that they are more likely to increase in number at certain times and
under certain circumstances, such as 1) during late childhood and early
puberty, 2) During pregnancy, and 3) During adulthood when extreme
amounts of weight are gained

Some people are genetically predisposed to have more
fat cells than others and women have more fat cells than men. An infant
usually has about 5 - 6 billion fat cells. This number increases during
early childhood and puberty, and a healthy adult with normal body
composition has about 25 to 30 billion fat cells. A typical overweight
adult has around 75 billion fat cells. But in the case of severe
obesity, this number can be as high as 250 to 300 billion!

The average size (weight) of an adult fat cell is
about 0.6 micrograms, but they can vary in size from 0.2 micograms to
0.9 micrograms. An overweight person's fat cells can be up to three
times larger than a person with ideal body composition.

Remember, body fat is basically just a reserve
source of energy and fat cells are the like the storage tanks. Unlike a
gas tank in your car which is fixed in size, however, fat cells can
expand or shrink in size depending on how "filled" they are.

Picture a balloon that is not inflated: It's tiny
when not filled with air - maybe the size of your thumb. When you blow
it up with air, it can expand 10 or 12 times it's normal size, because
it simply fills up. That's what happens to fat cells: They start as
nearly empty fat storage "tanks" (when you are lean), and when energy
intake exceeds your needs, your fat cells "fill up" and "stretch out"
like balloons filling up with jelly (not a pretty picture, is it?)

So you don't actually "lose" fat cells, you "shrink" or "empty out" fat cells.

Take-home lessons:

1. Calories count!The signal that triggers your body to release
adipose from fat cells is an energy deficit... you have to burn more
than you eat.

2. Cut calories conservatively. Starving yourself may cause quick
weightloss at first, but never works long term because it actually
decreases the activity of fat burning enzymes that release fat from
the cells. to avoid this "starvation mode" use exercise to BURN
THE FAT, not very low calorie crash diets.

3. Get control of your weight now. If you are gaining weight, and
especially if your weight is climbing upwards out of control, make
a decision to STOP RIGHT NOW. Your fat cells might be multiplying,
making it more difficult to burn fat in the future. NOW is the time!

4. If you've already lost weight, you must be forever diligent.
Your fat cells are not gone, they have merely "shrunk" or
"emptied out." Fitness is not a 12 week program, its a lifestyle.
To stay lean you have to eat clean and stay active

5. Genetics are only a minor factor. You may not have control over
how many fat cells you were born with, but you do control the major
factors that determine how much fat you store: lifestyle, exercise,
nutrition, mental attitude.

Genetics are not an excuse. The past is not an excuse. Your present
condition is not an excuse. You can either make excuses or get results,
but you can't do both.

So keep educating yourself about the science, read these newsletters,
take action every day and go out there and make it happen!

If you need more help, Burn The Fat is the eating plan that turned it
all around for thousands of others... why not you? visit: www.BurnTheFat.com

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto

www.BurnTheFat.com

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About the Author:

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Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, an NSCA-certified
personal trainer (CPT), certified strength & conditioning
specialist (CSCS), and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle"
Tom has written more than 200 articles and has been featured in print
magazines such as IRONMAN, Australian IRONMAN, Natural Bodybuilding,
Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise, as well as
on hundreds of websites worldwide.

For information on Tom's Fat Loss
program, visit: www.BurnTheFat.com

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