Exercise doesn't always make you lose weight: our tips for linking the two

Catherine Lacrosnières, nutritionist doctor in Paris, was the guest of "Sans Rendez-vous" on Europe 1. She explained how to calibrate her eating habits with her sporting activity, so as to potentiate the effects of the latter, in particular when the we are trying to lose weight.

INTERVIEW

Many amateur athletes have been forced to give up on their favorite practice in recent months, with confinement and administrative closures often depriving them of the necessary infrastructure and time. The reopening of the gyms this Wednesday, as well as the curfew pushed back to 11 p.m., open up new perspectives for them: but a few weeks before the summer holidays, to (re) appear perfectly shaped abs after months of inactivity seems a challenge. To help you, Catherine Lacrosnières, nutritionist doctor in Paris and guest of 

Sans Rendez-vous

, the health program of Europe 1, gives some tips to use your diet to burn fat faster during exercise.

>> READ ALSO -

 Reopening of sports halls: four tips for a good recovery

"Do only sport and eat anything, that is not much use. We will not lose weight effectively. Sport is an indirect help in weight loss", explains Catherine Lacrosnières.

"You will increase your muscle mass, and therefore your energy expenditure. If your overall energy expenditure is greater, you will have an easier time losing weight."

But to quickly see the effects, it is necessary to associate the sport with certain eating habits.

>>

 Find all of Sans rendez-vous every day from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

Try sport on an empty stomach

The body needs energy to assume the sporting effort to which you are going to submit it. Fat is one of them, but before using it, our body draws on other, more accessible reserves. "We will first use the sugar that circulates in the blood, and that we obtained from previous meals. And then, once that is done, we will go and get sugar reserves called reserves. of glycogen, they are located in the muscles. There is also some in the liver. And then, when these reserves have been used, the body will attack the reserves of fat, which it will transform into sugar to obtain energy, ”explains our nutritionist. 

For an intensive cardio session, allow at least 20 minutes before the body attacks fat, but 30 to 40 minutes if it is a more moderate activity.

The objective is therefore to try to reduce this period of time by adapting your diet.

"Exercising on an empty stomach is not a bad idea. This is what several researchers such as Max Lafontan recommends. Some people may fear hypoglycemia, but it generally goes very well", assures Catherine Lacrosnières .

Provided, of course, to have properly fed the day before and to stay tuned to your abilities.

"And indeed, we will get our fat reserves more quickly since we have not had recent sugar intake."

Adapt meal times

Another solution: combine sport and intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting involves spacing two meals at least 16 hours apart. You can stall your workout inside this window. And there again, "we will touch our fat reserves more quickly", points out our guest. However, she advises people with particular health problems, such as diabetics, not to use it.

If, despite everything, you fear sport on an empty stomach or skipping a meal, still try to adapt your sport schedules to these in order to optimize your performance.

Thus, it is recommended to wait at least two hours after a meal before starting any sporting activity.

"You will be too tired if you have hyperglycemia because you have just eaten or because you have taken a meal that is too sweet," points out our specialist.

Moreover, food too rich in fatty acids, such as junk food, promotes inflammation and the risk of injury.

Watch out for the pitfalls of the ketogenic diet!

Very fashionable in recent years, and used by top athletes, the ketogenic diet is known to be very effective for weight loss.

It is particularly followed by some bodybuilders to appear as dry as possible on the day of the competition.

But Catherine Lacrosnières advises against it.

"The ketogenic diet means meals with less than 5% sugar, the rest is just fat with a little protein."

>> READ ALSO -

 What you need to know about the ketogenic diet to lose weight ... based on fat

How can you lose weight with meals mainly made up of fat?

Since you get virtually no sugar into your body, the mechanism of drawing energy from fat kicks in much faster and the body burns all the reserves that are within its reach.

"It is not easy, because it is a very restrictive diet", indicates Catherine Lacrosnières.

And paradoxically, "it is often difficult to get out" because the rebound effect is important.

And after the sport?

It is common to have food cravings after a good workout. To avoid wasting your efforts by throwing yourself on the first pastry at your fingertips, Catherine Lacrosnières recommends fruit-based snacks. "For example the banana, which contains potassium and magnesium or even oilseeds, dried fruits, which will allow you to replenish your stock", and will help you hold out until mealtime.