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In the never-ending world of get-fit-quick
programs, it seems there's no shortage of those who abuse genuine exercise
science in the name of making a buck. One blatant example of this is
in a program I
 recently
reviewed in which the creators claimed to offer a method to boost fat loss
through better breathing. While I'm the first person to advocate
proper breathing--I'm a yoga instructor, after all, this program made the
giant leap to claim that such a practice will boost your fat loss while
eliminating your need to diet or exercise. What's amazing is how
effectively they managed to twist some legitimate facts of biochemistry into
a seemingly logical rationale to back up their claim. With
accompanying video graphics, a voice-over narrator explains that the most
common by-product of fat oxidation (a fancy term for when your body converts
fat to useable energy) is carbon dioxide…partly true, but we’ll let that one
go. The narrator then takes that one fact—that carbon dioxide is a primary
by-product of fat oxidation—to mean that burning MORE fat has to do with
using MORE oxygen…ergo, breathing MORE oxygen equals MORE fat burning. The
instructor actually admonishes fitness programs that demand that you
exercise in the traditional format, i.e., aerobic exercise, strength
training, boasting that nothing of the sort is necessary to achieve weight
loss.
You're probably already at least a bit suspect
of these claims....and you're right; this is nothing but smoke and mirrors
in fitness clothing. But don't take my word for it; read on for the
explanation, and see if you don't agree:
First of all, let’s examine the oxidation of
fat. Fat is just one substance that gets oxidized to meet your body’s energy
needs. Carbohydrates are the other common source. In both instances, carbon
dioxide and water are two common by-products. Fat is packed with potential
energy; a given amount of fat will render more than twice the number of
calories than the same amount of carbohydrates. But fat oxidation is
actually a very slow chemical process when compared to that of converting
carbohydrates to usable energy. For this reason, you actually obtain the
highest percentage of your energy from fat when you’re at rest, because at
rest, your body is not in need of quick energy. On the other hand, your body
obtains a much higher percentage of its energy from carbohydrate metabolism
during times of sudden bursts of activity, such as when you go from sitting
on the couch to taking a brisk walk. The difference is, your energy needs
have now gone up…translation? You’re burning more calories. And that’s the
key; your body regulates its weight through caloric balance….to lose weight,
you must burn more calories than you consume. Adding more oxygen to the
equation won’t change anything, as your body will only make the added
conversion of fat (or carbohydrates) to ATP if your need for the extra
energy also goes up. Proper breathing is excellent, as is stretching, but it
won’t by itself create the impetus for the body to consume more fat. Stop
and think….such a claim suggests that we already use up whatever oxygen is
entering our bodies. If that were true, there would be no such thing as
rescue breathing, as all we’d only be breathing stale, unusable air into the
victim’s lungs. Bottom line: to burn more fat, you must increase your energy
output.
Now, I need to make myself clear on one thing:
proper, healthy breathing is always a good idea. After all, breath is
but one of the three main pillars of hatha yoga. But like everything
else, breath alone is not enough to bring about such a complex, radical
health change like weight loss. Weight loss, no matter how it's
dressed up, is still the result of two key components: eating less and
exercising more. -ep
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