Why can anaerobic exercise help with weight loss

Anaerobic exercise can help reduce body fat and shape muscle lines, mainly through short-term high-intensity consumption of glycogen and increased metabolic rate to achieve weight loss effects. Anaerobic exercises such as sprinting and weightlifting belong to high-intensity interval training, which mainly relies on the phosphate system and glycolysis for energy supply during the exercise process. This type of exercise can cause minor damage to muscle fibers, and the repair process requires a significant amount of energy to increase resting metabolic rate. The phenomenon of excessive oxygen consumption after exercise can last for several hours, during which the body continues to burn heat. Anaerobic exercise promotes the secretion of growth hormone, which can break down fat and promote muscle synthesis. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than adipose tissue, and adding one kilogram of muscle can burn tens of thousands of calories per day. Some people may experience temporary weight gain after anaerobic exercise, mainly due to an increase in muscle tissue water content and muscle glycogen reserves. Muscle density is greater than fat, and muscles of the same volume are heavier than fat but smaller in size. As exercise continues, body fat percentage gradually decreases, and changes in body circumference better reflect the true weight loss effect than body weight numbers. For individuals with lower basal metabolic rates, anaerobic exercise has a particularly significant effect on increasing daily energy expenditure.

It is recommended to combine anaerobic exercise with aerobic exercise for comprehensive training, arrange 3-4 strength training sessions per week, and pay attention to supplementing high-quality protein to help muscle repair after training. Warm up and stretch before and after exercise, gradually increasing the load according to the individual's physical condition. Maintaining a regular schedule and balanced diet, controlling daily total calorie intake, can achieve the best weight loss effect. The measurement data of a body fat scale can more accurately reflect the progress of weight loss than a body weight scale. It is recommended to observe the trend of body composition changes on a weekly basis.