Busting 3 fitness myths

It's officially SPOOKY season! With that said, there's a lot of *scary* misinformation out there in regards to fitness and nutrition. Let's bust these 3 fitness myths! MYTH #1: Ice baths are a great recovery tool. We can thank Joe Rogan and David Goggins for this one. The popular ice bath ritual may not be doing what you think it does. If you are unfamiliar with the process: after a resistance training session, it's suggested that ice baths will help the recovery process. Good news for those who would rather do literally anything else than to hop into a freezing tub of cubes post-workout (it me), ice baths actually slow the recovery process. So, no need for that! PMID: 31788800 MYTH #2: Eating more fat during exercise allows your body to use more fat for energy. You might think that if you consume more fat, that means your body is using it for energy during exercise. Although you're not wrong in the sense that your body uses fat for energy, your body prefers to use carbohydrates for energy. This is why you see me and many other endurance coaches suggest consuming simple carbohydrates intra-workout. Aside from simple carbohydrates being more easily digested and ready to use, eating foods that have fat are not as involved in the energy expenditure during exercise. The fat that is referred to in exercise is primarily endogenous, or is pulling from stored fat within your body. TLDR; consumed fat is not the same as stored fat. Fat consumption is an essential part of a well-rounded diet, but it is not the same fat that we "burn". MYTH #3: Weight loss and fat loss are the same thing. Weight loss and fat loss are different, but I understand why people may mistakenly use it interchangeably. Weight loss is the reduction of overall weight -- this could include fat, muscle, and water loss. Fat loss refers to the loss of subcutaneous and visceral fat. This is when the difference between paying attention to calorie intake vs calorie intake + protein intake + exercise matters. A person can achieve weight loss by being in a calorie deficit without exercising. This is not me suggesting you don't exercise, this is just how science works. I encourage all bodies to strength train and do cardio for the lengthy list of benefits you receive from it. Strength training and cardiovascular training has many benefits that go well beyond weight management. To achieve fat loss, a person will need to be in a calorie deficit, maintain a daily protein intake between 1.4-2.0g/kg of body weight, and strength train to maintain as much muscle mass as possible. I understand how filtering through the BS online and throughout media in general can be challenging. Especially when myths are enforced by popular people who have a large following, leading them to seem trustworthy. I encourage you to surround yourself with media that comes from reputable, scientific sources. Here are a few fitness and nutrition accounts I suggest following: Sohee Carpenter Dr. Alyssa Olenick Dr. Leada Malek Ben Carpenter Jason Koop Dr. Nick Tiller Happy fitness-ing!