The Truth About Metabolism & How To Boost It
22nd Nov 21
Some people may have heard of metabolism, but it isn’t always clear what it means or what it is. Believe it or not, everyone’s metabolism is slightly different, leading to different body types and how many calories you burn. The more we know about metabolism and our own personal metabolic rate, the easier it is to manage our weights and understand our bodies.
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What Is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the definition of all of the chemical processes that go on within someone’s body when they are resting. These chemical processes are what keep us breathing, help our cells repair, aid with digestion and basically keep our organs working. But these chemical processes need energy. Everyone has a basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy our bodies need to keep these processes going. 80% of daily energy can be because of the body’s BMR, and a person’s metabolic rate can affect the number of calories you burn when you are resting.
The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn when resting. This doesn’t mean that you have to have a fast or slow metabolism, and it certainly won’t affect your weight. However, there are ways to boost your it to help you understand how many calories to consume daily against how many you burn when resting.
Ways To Boost It
Eating protein during every meal can be one way to boost metabolism for a few hours, as it causes a rise in TEF (thermic effect of food) and can increase your metabolic rate by 15-30%. As you get older, strength training can benefit metabolism, too, as your body loses muscle and gains fat. By strength training, it will build your muscle mass and increase the energy you burn per day.
Standing up more can also help as standing burns calories. Being sat down all day can make it easier for your body to gain calories and burn them slow. Standing for one afternoon alone can help your body burn an extra 174 calories. A good night’s sleep can also boost metabolism. Lack of sleep and sleep deprivation can increase weight gain and also have adverse effects on your metabolism. Lack of sleep boosts the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases hormones that keep you feeling full.
Effects on The Body
Whilst it has been proven that metabolism doesn’t affect weight gain or loss, the faster your metabolism, the more calories you will burn when resting. So it’s all about understanding your personal metabolism and consuming the daily calories needed to complement it. A fast metabolism might mean you can consume a few more calories and vice versa for those with a slow metabolism.
Looking into calculating your BMR can really help with this. Calculating your BMR will tell you how many calories you burn each day whilst resting. Using the calculator below, you can add your BMR to the calories allocated to your daily exercise levels. If you take in this many calories a day, you should expect your weight to stay the same.
Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.
If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
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