In the podcast ‘The Wild Project’, nutritionist Roberto Vidal clarifies a series of things about the fat that accumulates in the bodies of men and women. «When we consume fat it goes to the adipocytes unless you are on a cytogenic diet. The carbohydrates become glucosewhich is the smallest carbohydrate molecule. It is the way in which it is absorbed in the intestine and then travels through the blood to go to the different tissues and be used as a source of energy. When it is not needed, it is stored in the form of glycogen,” says Vidal.
Add that glycogen is the way we store carbohydrates to obtain energy quickly. «In the same way that we store fat as an energy reserve, we also store glycogen for when you have an immediate energy demand. “We can store a significant amount in the liver and muscles mainly.”
He also points out that when it becomes saturated, that is, there is no more room, then the body, through a process that is lipogenesistransforms these carbohydrates into fats, into triglycerides, which will accumulate in the subcutaneous tissue. «The adipocyte will be produced, it will become larger, this is called adipocyte hypertrophy. “Before doing so, what it will do is stimulate new growth of a new adipocyte,” says Vidal.
An obese person has a greater number of fat sacs than a thin person. «It is one of the consequences, in fact, of obesity. Even if you lose weight, you will keep those little bags. That’s for life. And ‘a limit point may be reached where fat will begin to be stored in ectopic areassuch as visceral fat,” he says.
And it also points out that there is a type of fatty tissue, although there are three types of adipocytes, there is the whitewhich is what I have talked about about subcutaneous tissue. “He brownwhich is what we use to generate heat. Babies have a lot of it to regulate temperature, we have less. And then, the brownwhich is like a mixture that is capable of reserving energy, but also generating heat.”
What depends on whether fat accumulates in one part or another?
It depends a lot on hormones. «Insulin greatly predisposes the accumulation of fat tissue in the abdominal area, the typical beer belly, estrogen tends to accumulate it more in the hips, thighs and buttocks. In short, hormones somewhat dominate the area in which fatty tissue accumulates. And there is also certain genetic predisposition«says Vidal. Likewise, adipose tissue plays a role energy and endocrine reserve and also protective.
What percentage of fat is considered ideal?
What the evidence tells us is that women have between 15 and 20% fat and men between 10 and 15%. But Vidal clarifies that it also depends on whether or not you have the ability to maintain those numbers. «Without having to warm your head in case you miss a week in your activities and it won’t be a problem because a little fatty tissue has increased.
Hence Vidal indicates that there are three pillars health, performance and aesthetics. The closer you get towards health, the further you get from performance and aesthetics. Your thing is to find the balance. And the focus always has to be a better version of yourself without comparing yourself to another person on networks. “That is already sufficiently rewarding and realistic and allows you to really have an achievable goal and make the journey bearable,” says Vidal.
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