# Can you feel fat burning?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 30, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323 "2010-05-30T21:57:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/1 "2010-05-30T21:57:02Z")
A friend says one can literally feel when one’s fat is burning as a result of exercise. She describes it–and says everyone athletic describes it–as a tingling, itching feeling.
I wish to call BS on this claim. But I’ve been surprised before. So I lay this claim as a sacrifice at the altar of the SDMB gods. Is the sacrifice acceptable? Are the fumes pleasing to you?
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/2 "2010-05-30T22:12:14Z")
No, that tingle sensation has nothing to do with fat burning.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/3 "2010-05-30T22:13:38Z")
She should drink more water - sounds like acidic sweat to me. . . 😉
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### Author:  [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/4 "2010-05-30T22:14:34Z")
How is one supposed to be able tell that those sensations are actually due to fat burning? I’m a long distance runner and I’ve never had a moment when I felt “Ah yes, that is fat being converted into energy”. A tingling, itching feeling could be from anything - skin tingles, sweat can make you itch, feet can feel “pins and needles”, clothing can rub you, muscles strain and ache.
I’m certainly aware that fat is being burned on my long runs but I don’t know if there’s any special physical sensation associated with it.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/5 "2010-05-30T22:17:02Z")
> [@Valgard](#):
>
> I’m certainly aware that fat is being burned on my long runs but I don’t know if there’s any special physical sensation associated with it.
Hitting the wall. 😃
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### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/6 "2010-05-30T22:26:23Z")
Is pain the feeling of weakness leaving the body?
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### Author:  [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/7 "2010-05-30T22:42:44Z")
I do notice something when I go on walks, about 25-35 minutes in, that I’ve attributed to aerobic burning kicking in. A sensation of altered blood flow in my diaphragm and rib area.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/8 "2010-05-30T22:45:54Z")
> [@Koxinga](#):
>
> Is pain the feeling of weakness leaving the body?
Pain is an unpleasant stimulation of the nerve endings. Weakness leaves the body through the head.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/9 "2010-05-31T03:43:25Z")
I can’t. I’ve burned 21 pounds of fat this year, and I didn’t feel one calorie of it going. I’ve been working really hard on gardening, doing hours of digging in a day, and I’ve felt hungry, thirsty, tired and sore from it, but I didn’t feel fat being turned into energy.
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### Author:  [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/10 "2010-05-31T04:34:32Z")
That’s silly.
If she could feel ‘fat burning’ she’d feel it all the time - any of the calories you consume daily that aren’t immediately used are stored in your fat cells until you need them. Our fat cells are constantly storied and releasing energy…
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/11 "2010-05-31T05:48:41Z")
> [@DSeid](#):
>
> No, that tingle sensation has nothing to do with fat burning.
I feel that too itching and tingling sometimes too. But it seems to be the early stage of [chafing](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=563696), not fat burning.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feel-fat-burning/541323/12 "2010-05-31T15:17:11Z")
I found for me tingling indicates I’m not breathing correctly. If I stop and take a few deep breaths the tingling goes away immediately.
This doesn’t happen much anymore. It happened a lot when I first got asthma, and until I worked enough to build up my tolerance.