Where does our fat go when we exercise? - CrowdScience, BBC World Service

If, like CrowdScience listener Lili, you enjoy working out in the gym, you may have wondered where your fat disappears to when you exercise?

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The short answer is that we convert it to energy that powers a whole range of physical processes, from breathing to walking as well as lying down and doing nothing. But the science behind energy expenditure is a little more complicated.

Presenter Anand Jagatia jumps on an exercise bike to have his metabolism measured and learns that he may be relying on an entirely different source of fuel as he works up a sweat.

Is all that hard work worth the effort it involves? Recent research suggests there is a limit to the number of calories humans can burn and that engaging in physical activity is not always a sure-fire way to keep trim.

So if working out is not the best way to lose weight, how about harnessing our own fat to tackle the complications of obesity? It used to be thought brown fat was exclusive to babies (and bears) but we now know adults have some of it too. Anand discovers that it appears to play a vital role in combatting a range of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

0:00 Introduction
1:19 CrowdScience listener Lili Clever wants to know: Where does fat go when we exercise?
2:54 What is fat aka adipose tissue?
4:15 Why it matters where fat is in your body
5:10 Male/female differences in fat tissue
6:25 Metabolism, fat and carbohydrates
9:43 Example of calorie expenditure
13:45 "We're breathing in other peoples atoms" at the gym
14:52 How fat use and storage changes as we get older
15:50 Our metabolism "stays pretty stable" during our adult lives
16:50 Does going to the gym a lot mean we burn more calories on average than someone living a more leisurely lifestyle?
19:40 Your relationship to food and weight loss/gain
20:45 "Obesity is a diet problem not an exercise problem"
21:30 White fat and brown fat
25:30 Summary and conclusion

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