Does muscle really burn more calories than fat?

You may have heard that muscle burns more calories than fat and that building strong muscles through resistance training can significantly increase your metabolism.

But is it really true?

The truth is that a lean, muscular body burns only slightly more calories than a body with higher fat content but the same weight.

A pound of muscle burns approximately 6 calories per day, while a pound of fat burns two calories per day.

Consider a 200-pound person who dramatically changes their body composition by dropping 40 pounds of fat (40×2 = 80 calories per day subtracted from their metabolism) and gaining 20 pounds of muscle (20×6 = 120 calories added).

Their total daily caloric expenditure would increase by a whopping 40 calories!

So it’s true, “muscle burns more calories than fat”…to the tune of two macadamia nuts per day.

Exercise because it feels good to be in a body that can move. 

Exercise because it feels good to be lean and strong and fit. 

But please don’t exercise so you can eat whatever you want.