Do You Burn Fat When Your Glycogen Stores are Full?

Yes! You’re constantly burning a mixture of carbs and fat, but you burn more or less of them depending on what you’re doing. Keep reading to understand what glycogen is used for and how fat is burned.

What Are Glycogen Stores?

Here's how it works in a nutshell: When you eat bread, fruit, beans and other carb-containing foods, your body breaks them down into glucose (sugar). Glucose serves as the primary source of energy for your body, especially when it's very active, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Are You Burning Carbs or Fat?

Both! When you're at rest or doing every day activities, White explains that fat contributes around 80 percent of the body's energy while 20 percent comes from carbohydrates. When you're working out — even if the activity is mild — at about 25 percent of your VO2 max, 80 percent or more energy expenditure comes from fat. (P.S. VO2max is the greatest quantity of oxygen you're able to consume, per the National Academy of Sports Medicine).

Sounds like a dream come true, right? Walk 30 minutes a day and burn tons of fat! Well, walking is definitely good for weight loss, but it may not be enough to burn a ton of fat off your body quickly.

How to Burn More Fat

1. Create a Calorie Deficit

If you want to burn more fat, you should first rethink your diet. Be sure you're taking in fewer calories than you burn, as a calorie deficit encourages your body to burn fat as a fuel source. Just don't drop your calories too low. People assigned female at birth shouldn't eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, while those assigned male at birth should stay above 1,500 calories, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

To determine your calorie needs for weight loss, use an online calorie calculator to figure your maintenance needs, then subtract 500 to 1,000 daily calories to safely lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, per the Mayo Clinic.

2. Eat Fewer Carbs

The Mayo Clinic also suggests that going low-carb with your diet will help support faster fat burn too. If you're not helping restore your glycogen stores with carbs, then your body has to burn fat for fuel.

3. Exercise More to Burn More

Increasing the amount of time and intensity you work out is essential if your goal is to burn more fat.

Read more on: livestrong