Conventional Wisdom...we have a problem

I'm sure you've heard the common axiom that the more you exercise and build lean muscle mass, the faster your metabolism and thus, the faster you burn calories.  Well, James Fell from That's Fit (Canada) begs to differ.  He basically states that this principle is simply an old wive's tale perpetuated first in the early 90's by a guy trying to sell supplements.  In actuality, he says, the more you work out, the lower your metabolism gets, truly making that "last ten pounds" especially tough to lose.

Exercise enough so that you "get in shape" and lose a bunch of fat, and your metabolic rate drops. This means you will burn fewer calories while you sleep, while you exercise, while you watch reality TV, or while you do... other stuff.


Bummer.

Think of this: You're in lousy shape and you run a mile. You sweat like crazy, your heart races, your lungs burn etc. Your metabolism is operating at a high level because it's not used to this kind of crap, and your heart and breathing rates stay elevated for a while even after you stop running.

Next scenario: Six months later you weigh less and are in much better shape and you run that same mile. You hardly sweat, your heart rate isn't that high and you aren't breathing very heavy. Also, your metabolic rate returns to normal not long after you stop. Ergo, your metabolism isn't working that hard because it has become accustomed to the exercise.

Guess which mile burned more calories?

That's the sucky part. The better shape you achieve, the harder you have to work to burn calories because your metabolism becomes more efficient at doing work; any kind of work. Even sitting at your desk you will be burning fewer calories once you are in shape.