Respiratory Quotient and Fat Loss
March 6, 2008
The science behind the low carbohydrate diets includes the understanding of the respiratory quotient (RQ).
What is RQ you ask. RQ = Volume of CO2 produced / Volume of O2 consumed
RQ of 1.0 means that we produce the same volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) as the volume of oxygen (O2) we take in. RQ of 0.7 means that we take in more oxygen and we produce less carbon dioxide. Carbohydrates have an RQ of 1.0 and fats have RQ of about 0.7. Research shows that high carbohydrate diets have higher RQ and low carbohydrate diets have lower RQ. So when our RQ is closer to 1.0 we are burning more carbohydrates as fuel and when our RQ gets closer to 0.7 we are burning more fat.
Putting it all together, keep carbohydrates low in your diet and your body burns fat molecules and help you get rid of that beer belly and not so adorable love handles faster. You already knew this but now you know a little more about the why.
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