Burning Fat or Burning Glycogen

[2big4mysize]

Tom has a post in the exercise board that has some heart rate monitors that you can order at a good price and they support the board too. so comparative shop for one there too.

[JordanII]

Hey!

Went out today and checked my heart rate as you suggested. I used a watch with a second hand.

I will be 55 years old in August. I am 5' 3" tall and weigh 127.

For a 55 year old the pulse range is 99-105 (220 subtract age and take 60% and 80% of resultant number). I decided that was too low, I would have to be sleep-walking to stay in that range!!!!!

For a 50 year old range is 102-136 This seemed to better reflect what I was doing.

I ran 5 miles and it took me 53 minutes. I started timing my "run" from when I started walking to warm up until I finished walking (cool down). My Pulse Rate was as follows:

At end of walking/warming up– Pulse Rate (PR) - 80

Top of Hill #1 – PR-152 – Sucking for air and knowing that I could not keep going at this pace for more than another couple of minutes. Feeling like I am giving absolute maximum effort.

Cruising – PR-120 I can sort of “sing” along with the player. I feel like I am working, but it still feels really good, a pace that I can keep up for quite some time.

Top of Incline #1 – PR-132 I can still talk, but it is an effort. Not a pace which I could keep up for very long.

Cruising - 122

Top Hill #2 – 140

Cruising – 120

Top Hill #3 – 148

Incline #2 – 133

Cruising – 122

At start of cool down walk – 120
At end of cool down walk - 89
After 10 minute rest – 76

It looks like I am within my range except when I am running up the hills. Fortunately, although steep, they are not very big so I am not “out of range” for very long each time I do get out (maximum 4 minutes-minimum 3 minutes)

So can I assume that I am burning fat when I am in my "60%-80%" range and am burning glycogen when I am running the hills???

[2big4mysize]

Congrats on your fine workout.

no, unless you are running hills for more then 1-2 min as your reserves in your muscles were already burnned off as the first fuel for your muscles.

the body does this

exertion starts muscle burning what is handy first that is those P bonded molecules ATP, creatine phosphate, and glycogen which then becomes glucose. Thise P bond breaking generate the actual energy. the glucose burn generates molecules that can recreate those P bonds in ATP

the ezyme that makes glycogen glucose pluse a P atom is the same one used to bust it and it can not be remade back to the making phase while you are burning glucose. you can't move the glycogen from say your biceps to your thigh muscles when you are running either as muscles lack the ability to export glycogen through their membranes. All you can do is release your reserves from your liver and kidney cortex.

Since you are in Atkins fat burning mod your fats for fuel hormone should be very high in your blood stream unles you foolishly carb load before a workout so you are responding to your body saying help help :yikes we need more fuel in the legs by rushing more fattyacids to the rescue from the fat cells once the blood stream supply is lowered and the fatty acids already stored in your muscles are used up making more ATP.

What you are trying to do running up those hills is use up most of those ATP molecules your muscle cell mitochondrias are making from the fatty acids present so they again send out the message help help we need more fuel!!!! and your body responds with even more fat liberating and your fat cells' stored fats jump around crying free, free at last and are transported to the place they will be busted into fatty acids and glycerol with the fatty acids going to be oxidixed for even more ATP molecules. :yes :yes :yes BVut on the other hand if you burn up too much ATP and the ratio of ATP to ADP get to a triggering level your cells will respond by generating glucose from spent reaction byproduct and the dreaded protein amino acids instead of your fats making more and more sugar availible for burning instead of fats.

However it takes a large amount of energy ATP molecules for the cells to convert protein and carbohydrate burning byproducts to glucose so they will not do this if they have a less energy comsuming source availible like fats for fuel. Some of the steps used in this other energy creation are regulated by ATP to ADP ratios so the slowing back down and burning less fuel allows that ratio to drop back down and shut off the creation of the enzymes needed to make that sugar. There are other chemical concentrations levels that will activate some form of this sugar production too. The formation of Ketones keeps one such molecule concentration down Acetyl CoA and there are many many other enzymes and steps that need to be activated so it isn't a desired means of fueling for the body when you can be using those fats to generat those P bonds for breaking in ATP.

AS you can see it gets very complicated and you want to just stay on your zones so you keep your fat burning going on as long as possible. As you get in better shape and you will you are going to see you need to go faster to keep getting that target heart rate.

Happy low carbing.

[JordanII]

Hey! :wave

Well!!!!!!!!! If I have not said so before, let me make it perfectly clear that I am absolutely positively impressed with your intimate understanding of the molecular biology of cellular energy production. Your understanding of said subject is demonstrated by your ability to explain said complex process in terms that are graspable by those who only wish they understood it as well as you do (that would be me!).

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me understand what those miserable little suckers (fat cells) are doing, and how to kick them in the buttinski to get them to do it more often and more efficiently!

Gracias :hug

[2big4mysize]

aw shucks thanks I just love letting my 2BIG brain leakout once in awhile

[JordanII]

Well, you know what they say............."If you got it, flaunt it"..... :joy :joy :joy

Cause ****'s Bells. it ain't often that a gal get's the opportunity to strut her stuff!!!!! :nod :nod