Learn from Eddie Peng: only 3% body fat and BMI should not be too low

For the movie "SPL", actor Eddie Peng built muscle for 3 months and reduced his body fat to only 3%. His training method was to exercise for 2-3 hours every day and only eat egg whites and chicken breasts boiled in plain water to fill his stomach. Doctors say that by using training methods to increase muscle mass, body fat percentage will naturally decrease. There is currently no specific definition of how low the body fat percentage should be. However, those who exercise should be reminded that their weight should not be too light, and their BMI value should not be lower than the normal lower limit of 18.5. Otherwise, it may affect the body's metabolism and immunity.

Actor Eddie Peng trained his muscles for three months for a movie, and his body fat is only 3%. Doctors say that there is currently no specific definition of how low the body fat percentage should be, but it is important to remind you that the BMI value cannot be lower than the normal lower limit of 18.5, otherwise the immunity may be affected. (Photo courtesy of Bona Film Group)

Xiao Dunren, a gastroenterologist specializing in obesity medicine, said that the methods of losing weight and training muscles are completely different: losing weight is about losing fat, and the general principle is to control calorie intake through diet, and then combine it with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise to increase body fat consumption.

If you want to have a fit body, you have to increase muscle mass. The main method is sports training, which is the fitness mentioned by Eddie Peng. It mainly involves anaerobic exercises such as lifting dumbbells, weightlifting, and push-ups. In addition, you have to supplement with a high-protein diet within half an hour after exercise so that muscle tissue will prioritize the uptake of protein amino acids.

Dr. Xiao Dunren pointed out that the ideal body fat percentage is generally recommended with the age of 30 as a reference point. The normal body fat percentage for men before the age of 30 is about 14-20%, and for women it is 17-24%. After the age of 30, the normal body fat percentage for men is about 17-23%, and for women it is 20-27%. If the body fat percentage for men exceeds 25% and for women exceeds 30%, they are considered obese.

However, people who train their muscles through exercise usually have a lower body fat percentage. But for someone like Eddie Peng who has only 3% body fat, which is far below the recommended normal body fat percentage, is it harmful to his health? Dr. Xiao Dunren said that there is currently no definition of what body fat percentage is considered unhealthy, but he reminded those who want to build muscle that their BMI should not be lower than 18.5, which means they should not be too underweight.

For example, if a man is 180 cm tall but weighs less than 59 kg, his BMI value will be too low, which may affect his body's metabolism and weaken his immunity. Even if he builds muscles, it will not be good for his health.