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Unfortunately, human body doesn't work like a mechanical engine which input fuel and output work. If you increase your calories consumption by exercise, our bo

by ezoe 1y ago

Unfortunately, human body doesn't work like a mechanical engine which input fuel and output work. If you increase your calories consumption by exercise, our body reduce the calories consumption of non-vital activities to keep the calorie consumption budget. Unless you're running ultra marathon every day, you can't increase calorie consumption that much.

SirMaster 1y ago
Then why do I feel more energetic and alert during downtime when I am in general exercising regularly compared to when I am not? Also my resting heart rate is a little higher when I am exercising a lot. Also my muscles are rebuilding themselves between all my lifting exercises. All of this must be increasing my resting calorie burn rate I would think.
- reverendsteveii 1y ago
  >Then why do I feel more energetic and alert during downtime when I am in general exercising regularly compared to when I am not? Because feeling tired is a very complex interplay of emotional, hormonal and environmental signals and not simply a lack of fuel. >Also my resting heart rate is a little higher when I am exercising a lot. Weird, almost everyone else's goes down as the heart becomes stronger and more efficient during strenuous exercise, then that more efficient muscle is doing the same job the older, less efficient one did >Also my muscles are rebuilding themselves between all my lifting exercises. All of this must be increasing my resting calorie burn rate I would think. This part is true, and it's why serious bodybuilders trying to get as large as possible run a bulk/cut cycle. First they eat an excess of calories while working out very intensely, causing them to gain a lot of both muscle and fat, then they eat at a calorie deficit while keeping up as much of the intensity as possible. The calorie deficit leads to weight loss but the continued usage of the muscles causes the body to still try to prioritize maintaining their bulk. The way it was explained to me was "pack it on, then shrinkwrap it". This is also why serious bodybuilders take their sleep very seriously as well, as that's the part where your body actually does the repairing, rebuilding and increasing the mass of muscles that were damaged through strenuous use.
  - SirMaster 1y ago
    >Weird, almost everyone else's goes down as the heart becomes stronger and more efficient during strenuous exercise, then that more efficient muscle is doing the same job the older, less efficient one did When I was sedentary for years my resting heart rate was 52, now that I am exercising an hour a day or more on average it's more around 60 or slightly higher even after I am sitting or laying at rest for a few hours, and even on full rest days. ChatGPT seems to think that there are some possible reasons it could be: 1. You May Be Observing Temporary Increases Due to Training Load (Acute Stress Response) When you increase your activity levels—especially if the exercise is intense or you're doing it consistently every day—your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) activity may remain elevated for longer periods. This leads to a temporary increase in resting heart rate, particularly on days following hard workouts. Why this happens: Exercise is a stressor, and though it’s beneficial, it still requires recovery. Your body might be in a state of acute fatigue or incomplete recovery, especially if you're training hard and not taking enough rest days. ------- 2. Your Baseline “Sedentary” Heart Rate Might Have Been Artificially Low You mentioned a resting heart rate of 52 bpm while sedentary, which is low—borderline bradycardic, in fact (clinically, under 60 bpm is considered low, though not necessarily dangerous, especially for athletes). Here’s a key insight: low doesn’t always mean "better." When sedentary individuals have low resting heart rates, it's often due to: Low overall metabolic demand (not much physical exertion). Potential autonomic imbalance, where the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") system is more dominant simply because the body isn’t being taxed. Genetic predisposition toward lower heart rate—some people just naturally run low. So it's entirely possible that your previous 52 bpm was: An artifact of a low metabolic state, not high cardiovascular fitness. Reflective of a body in conservation mode, not necessarily an efficient, strong heart. ------- 3. Your Resting Heart Rate Is Reflecting a “New Normal” of Increased Baseline Activity Now that you are exercising regularly, several things happen: Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) may increase slightly due to changes in muscle mass and hormonal shifts. Your autonomic nervous system may stay slightly more activated throughout the day. You may be experiencing increased cardiac output demand at rest due to new muscle tissue and more oxygen-hungry body mass. Put simply, your resting metabolic and cardiovascular “idle” is slightly revved up compared to before, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your heart is less healthy. In fact, it may now be more responsive, more adaptable, and faster to respond to changes in demand (a good thing). It makes me think at least that I am burning more calories at rest now than I was before. I don't think I should be concerned. I have noticed all sorts of improvements from lower blood pressure to more energy and more alertness and a clearer mind etc.

by ezoe 1y ago

SirMaster 1y ago

Then why do I feel more energetic and alert during downtime when I am in general exercising regularly compared to when I am not? Also my resting heart rate is a little higher when I am exercising a lot. Also my muscles are rebuilding themselves between all my lifting exercises. All of this must be increasing my resting calorie burn rate I would think.

reverendsteveii 1y ago
>Then why do I feel more energetic and alert during downtime when I am in general exercising regularly compared to when I am not? Because feeling tired is a very complex interplay of emotional, hormonal and environmental signals and not simply a lack of fuel. >Also my resting heart rate is a little higher when I am exercising a lot. Weird, almost everyone else's goes down as the heart becomes stronger and more efficient during strenuous exercise, then that more efficient muscle is doing the same job the older, less efficient one did >Also my muscles are rebuilding themselves between all my lifting exercises. All of this must be increasing my resting calorie burn rate I would think. This part is true, and it's why serious bodybuilders trying to get as large as possible run a bulk/cut cycle. First they eat an excess of calories while working out very intensely, causing them to gain a lot of both muscle and fat, then they eat at a calorie deficit while keeping up as much of the intensity as possible. The calorie deficit leads to weight loss but the continued usage of the muscles causes the body to still try to prioritize maintaining their bulk. The way it was explained to me was "pack it on, then shrinkwrap it". This is also why serious bodybuilders take their sleep very seriously as well, as that's the part where your body actually does the repairing, rebuilding and increasing the mass of muscles that were damaged through strenuous use.
- SirMaster 1y ago
  >Weird, almost everyone else's goes down as the heart becomes stronger and more efficient during strenuous exercise, then that more efficient muscle is doing the same job the older, less efficient one did When I was sedentary for years my resting heart rate was 52, now that I am exercising an hour a day or more on average it's more around 60 or slightly higher even after I am sitting or laying at rest for a few hours, and even on full rest days. ChatGPT seems to think that there are some possible reasons it could be: 1. You May Be Observing Temporary Increases Due to Training Load (Acute Stress Response) When you increase your activity levels—especially if the exercise is intense or you're doing it consistently every day—your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) activity may remain elevated for longer periods. This leads to a temporary increase in resting heart rate, particularly on days following hard workouts. Why this happens: Exercise is a stressor, and though it’s beneficial, it still requires recovery. Your body might be in a state of acute fatigue or incomplete recovery, especially if you're training hard and not taking enough rest days. ------- 2. Your Baseline “Sedentary” Heart Rate Might Have Been Artificially Low You mentioned a resting heart rate of 52 bpm while sedentary, which is low—borderline bradycardic, in fact (clinically, under 60 bpm is considered low, though not necessarily dangerous, especially for athletes). Here’s a key insight: low doesn’t always mean "better." When sedentary individuals have low resting heart rates, it's often due to: Low overall metabolic demand (not much physical exertion). Potential autonomic imbalance, where the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") system is more dominant simply because the body isn’t being taxed. Genetic predisposition toward lower heart rate—some people just naturally run low. So it's entirely possible that your previous 52 bpm was: An artifact of a low metabolic state, not high cardiovascular fitness. Reflective of a body in conservation mode, not necessarily an efficient, strong heart. ------- 3. Your Resting Heart Rate Is Reflecting a “New Normal” of Increased Baseline Activity Now that you are exercising regularly, several things happen: Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) may increase slightly due to changes in muscle mass and hormonal shifts. Your autonomic nervous system may stay slightly more activated throughout the day. You may be experiencing increased cardiac output demand at rest due to new muscle tissue and more oxygen-hungry body mass. Put simply, your resting metabolic and cardiovascular “idle” is slightly revved up compared to before, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your heart is less healthy. In fact, it may now be more responsive, more adaptable, and faster to respond to changes in demand (a good thing). It makes me think at least that I am burning more calories at rest now than I was before. I don't think I should be concerned. I have noticed all sorts of improvements from lower blood pressure to more energy and more alertness and a clearer mind etc.