7 Fitness Misconceptions And It’s Origin
In the digital age, there are overwhelming amounts of exercise tips and advice from fitness influencers on social media. Unsurprisingly, many are based on pseudoscience or anecdotal effects. Misconceptions can mislead and potentially do more harm than good. In this article, Coach Justin debunks some of these misconceptions and how it originated.
Misconception 1 - If I train a specific part of the body, I will lose fat mass from that area
This misconception first arose in the 1890s when researchers relied on the dissection of animal cadavers and less accurate measurement techniques. However, in the last 40 years, more sophisticated measurement techniques such as ultrasounds, MRI, and DXA scan have provided us with greater insight and a better understanding of the human body. Over the years, researchers found that body fats distribution is influenced by individual, ethnic, and gender variation, and is not influenced by physical activity. This can be observed in single-limb sports such as badminton or tennis, which do not see preferential reductions in body fat in exercising versus non-exercising limbs. This is mainly because fat utilisation occurs around the body based on the energy demand rather than specific muscle activation.
Why is this important
Allocating time and effort on specific isolation exercises such as tricep extension or crunches with the goal of fat reduction in specific areas is a waste of time that doesn’t serve the training objective. Focus on compound movement such as squats or push up for maximum muscle activation. Having a proper nutrition plan goes a long way for your fat loss journey.
Misconception 2 - Women have a risk of getting too muscular if they lift heavyweights
This misconception originated in the 1900s due to concerns about the impact of strenuous sport on the reproductive ability of women. This was further invigorated with different resistance training recommendations for men and women into the 1970s. However, now we know that both males and females can increase muscle size and strength in response to resistance training. While women can achieve similar relative strength and hypertrophy increases to men through resistance training, the differences in size and body composition resulted in a smaller absolute hypertrophy effect. Furthermore, muscle gain requires higher protein intakes and higher energy intakes, both of which can be controlled by those not looking to achieve weight gain.
Why is this important
The fear of getting too muscular may cause women to avoid resistance training which potentially deprives them of the benefits of resistance training.
Misconception 3 - Perform cardio at a lower intensity for a better weight loss effect
In the 1970s, researchers began to examine which exercise intensity is best suited for weight loss. They proposed that lower intensity exercises were better for weight loss due to more significant fat metabolism. Following this, fitness centres and cardio machines such as treadmills start to put up infographics that promote low to moderate intensity exercises as the "fat-burning zone". While it is true that fat oxidation is more significant at a lower intensity, the total calories utilised during each bout of exercise is significantly lower compared to higher intensity workout.
Why is this important
Studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) resulted in more significant weight loss compared to low-moderate intensity training. However, there are several factors to consider before jumping straight into HIIT. For example, while HIIT is more effective, there is a higher drop-out rate and a higher risk of injury associated with it.
Misconception 4 - Lactic acid causes the muscle burning sensation
Early research in the 1930s observed a linear relationship between blood pH (which causes the burning sensation) and muscle lactate concentrations. However, in the 1960s, we gained a better understanding of the process. In contrast to previous findings, lactate can be used as a source of energy and help remove the culprit behind those burning sensation, hydrogen ions.
Why is this important
Honestly, this doesn’t matter for most people unless you are interested in endurance sporting performance. If that’s the case, stay tuned for my next article on lactate testing services to optimise running performance.
Misconception 5 - No pain, no gain: to get stronger or fitter, we need to endure pain in our exercise
The “No pain, No gain” mentally appears to have its origins in popular media. At the same time, muscle soreness is commonly experienced by new exercises or eccentric resistance exercises, which can lead to muscle growth and strength gain afterwards. However, the idea that Delay Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS) as an indicator of actual muscle damage is not supported by the academic literature and muscle growth can occur independently of muscle soreness. Hence, DOMS may not be a useful indicator of the benefit of a training session.
Why is this important
Undermining a workout effort because it doesn’t feel sore may have a negative impact on motivation level. Furthermore, chasing soreness may lead to overtraining and potentially injury.
Misconception 6 - Train as hard as possible during your workouts. A higher intensity workout is better for you.
HIIT has been trending the past few years. The popularity of this modality of training can be observed in the rise of CrossFit and other HIIT programs. While HIIT is beneficial, it is also contributing to the increased injury rate. Furthermore, it is well established that different intensity will result in different exercise outcomes, so the appropriate intensity is entirely dependent on the desired adaptation. Exercise intensity may additionally depend on the exercise and medical history of the participant.
Why is this important
Due to the higher risk of injury, recommending HIIT for individuals without prior workout history may do more harm than good. Furthermore, HIIT has been shown to have a higher dropout rate. Research also recommended athletes to be educated on how to minimize preventable injuries as the risk of injury is not limited to only non-active populations.
Misconception 7 - Cramping is caused by a lack of salt
This is a tricky one. Currently, we are still unsure of the exact cause of cramping, as there seems to be a diverse factor that contributes to it. But the leading hypothesis indicates that the greatest risk factors are the previous history of cramping, exercising at a higher relative intensity or duration, and hot or humid conditions and cramping associated with lack of salt intake was in the mix.
Why is this important
Only consuming a salt tablet may not solve the problem. If you have a history of cramping up, it is possibly caused by one of the many other factors which you now can look into and reduce the risk of it happening the next time.
Final Words
Most of the misconceptions listed above are not entirely wrong; it just isn’t the whole truth. The lack of understanding in exercise physiology can result in spending unnecessary time and effort on pointless tasks and increase the risk of injury. There are countless more misconceptions out there, hence hiring a personal trainer with a good understanding of basic physiology can help you navigate through all these noises and design a customised training program based on your specific goals.
If you are looking for a Personal Trainer to help you achieve your fitness goals, you can contact me at 8173 7960 for more information! Cheers, Coach Justin
Reference
Jolley, D. (2019). Misconceptions and Critical Thinking Ability In Undergraduate Exercise Science Students, Vocational Fitness Students, and Exercise Professionals (Doctoral dissertation, Curtin University).
Damas, F., Libardi, C. A., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2018). The development of skeletal muscle hypertrophy through resistance training: the role of muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis. European journal of applied physiology, 118(3), 485-500.
Rynecki, N. D., Siracuse, B. L., Ippolito, J. A., & Beebe, K. S. (2019). Injuries sustained during high intensity interval training: are modern fitness trends contributing to increased injury rates?. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 59(7), 1206-1212.
Baechle, T. R., & Boyce, M. (1974). Resistance training for women. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, 45(9), 28-29.
Todd, J. (1992). The origins of weight training for female athletes in North America. Iron Game History, 2, 4-14.