Your body can use fat you already have as fuel to build new muscle.
Scientific Claim
Endogenous adipose tissue serves as a metabolic substrate that can support muscle protein synthesis during periods of caloric restriction or maintenance.
Original Statement
“Your body can tap into that energy to fuel muscle growth. In fact, when Dayton first started working with me on a fat loss diet, he was still able to build muscle, not as fast as during his bulk, but at a pretty solid rate of about 0.7 lbs of muscle per month.”
Context Details
Domain
nutrition
Population
human
Subject
endogenous adipose tissue
Action
fuels
Target
muscle protein synthesis during energy balance or deficit
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Continuation of Growth Hormone (GH) Substitution during Fasting in GH-Deficient Patients Decreases Urea Excretion and Conserves Protein Synthesis<sup>1</sup>
The study found that when people fast and get extra growth hormone, their bodies burn more fat instead of breaking down muscle — meaning fat helps keep muscles from breaking down, even when not eating.