Myth: Calories eaten after 8 pm turn to fat.

Fact: This is an urban legend that is no truer than the notion that alligators are roaming the sewers of New York City. The fact of the matter is if you eat more calories than your body burns in a day, the excess calories will be stored as fat. Whether you consume them during Good Morning America or Letterman, it doesn't matter; there is no intrinsic connection between calories and the clock.

Myth: Exercising on an empty stomach burns more fat.

Fact: If only it were that easy.  When you perform aerobic exercise, your body is burning fat as well as carbohydrate stores from food you've recently eaten. So if you skip your pre-workout meal or snack, you won't have carbohydrate stores to burn. But that doesn't mean you'll burn all fat (a physiological impossibility). Instead, your body starts to burn its own muscle for fuel. And less muscle means lower metabolism. Not to mention that exercising on empty means you'll probably be too tired to have a good workout, which translates into burning fewer calories during your workout than if you had properly fueled up beforehand.

Myth: You can lose fat from specific parts of your body by exercising those spots.
Truth: There's no such thing as "spot reduction." When you exercise, you use energy produced by burning fat in all parts of your body - not just around the muscles that are doing most of the work. In fact, your genes may dictate that fat disappears from, say, your face or arms before your belly, even if you do endless abdominal exercises. However, working a specific region, like the belly, can have one site-specific benefit: Strengthening the muscles can make you look thinner by helping you hold in your gut.

Myth:  Strength training tends to give women a bulky, masculine physique.
Truth: It's very difficult for most women to build large muscles. That's because women have relatively low levels of the hormone testosterone, which influences muscle growth.

I hope these clear up some questions some of you might have.  For more information please go to www.fusionfitnesscenter.com. 
Or call 302.738.4580.

Stay Healthy,
Nic DeCaire