30 Seconds SummaryCan You Stay Shredded?
- Achieving a very low body fat percentage is a common goal, especially in bodybuilding, but maintaining such leanness is fraught with physical and psychological challenges.
- Long-term sustainability of extremely low body fat is debated, with some suggesting it's feasible under strict conditions, while most find it unmanageable due to increasing difficulty and health implications over time.
- The concept of 'relative energy deficiency in sport' (RED-S) highlights issues like impaired metabolic rate and hormonal functions when athletes maintain too low an energy intake relative to their lean body mass.
- Adaptive thermogenesis, where the body reduces its energy expenditure in response to weight loss, complicates efforts to maintain weight loss and can contribute to ongoing health issues.
- Body fat 'set points' suggest that individuals have a natural body fat level their body strives to maintain, using hormonal signals like leptin to regulate energy intake and expenditure.
- Anecdotal and research evidence suggests that individuals, particularly athletes, may accept lower health and performance as a trade-off for maintaining lower body fat for competitive advantages.
- Environmental and lifestyle factors, such as physical activity levels and diet, significantly influence the ability to sustain lower body fat percentages.
- Theoretical models propose that while it's theoretically possible to sustain low body fat, practical implementation is complex, involving interplays of metabolic, environmental, and genetic factors.
Stronger By Science
Eric Helms
