Overview

What is metabolism

To create and release energy, a complex process combines calories and oxygen. This energy powers the body’s functions.

What is the function of your metabolism?

Even when your body is at rest, your metabolism never stops. It continuously supplies energy for basic bodily functions such as:

• Breathing
• Blood circulation
• Food digestion
• Cell growth and repair
• Controlling hormone levels
• Body temperature control

What is the BMR (basal metabolic rate)?

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body requires to function while at rest. This amount varies depending on the individual. Your BMR accounts for 60% to 70% of the energy your body consumes. Rapid weight loss and aggressive calorie restriction lower your BMR, which is why weight loss is rarely linear and may stall at some point.

What effect does metabolism have on weight?

A lot of individuals blame their weight problems on metabolic issues. However, your metabolism regulates itself naturally to meet the needs of your body.

Hard as it may to believe, it is almost never the cause of weight gain or loss. Anyone who burns more calories than they consume will lose weight.

What differentiates fast and slow metabolism?

Even when at rest, someone with a fast metabolism or BMR burns a lot of calories. If you have a slow metabolism or BMR, your body requires fewer calories to function properly.

A fast metabolism does not always imply thinness. In fact, studies show that people who are overweight or obese frequently have fast metabolisms. Their bodies require more energy to maintain basic body functions.

Factors that affect metabolism

Different disorders including, Gaucher disease, Hemochromatosis, Maple syrup urine disease, Mitochondrial diseases, Tay-Sachs disease, and Wilson disease.

Muscle mass: Muscle requires more energy (calories) to build and maintain than fat. People who have more muscle mass typically have faster metabolisms and burn more calories.

Age: As you get older, you lose muscle, which slows down your metabolism.

Gender: Males typically have faster metabolisms than females. They have more muscle mass, larger bones, and a lower body fat percentage.

Genes: The genes you inherit from your parents influence your muscle size and ability to bulk up.

Physical activity: Walking, chasing after your children, playing tennis, and other forms of exercise cause your body to burn more calories than sitting.

Smoking: Nicotine increases your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories. This is one of the reasons why people who stop smoking may gain weight. However, the health consequences of smoking — cancer, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease — far outweigh any benefit from burning a few extra calories.

How to Increase Your Metabolism Through Exercise

Your next workout could prepare you for a faster metabolism.

Your metabolism is everything your body does to convert food into energy and keep you going. Some people’s metabolisms are faster than others.

Uncontrollable factors as we have seen above sometimes influence whether your metabolism is fast or slow. It is up to you to speed it up once you realize it is slow.

Concentrate on what truly matters: exercise.

Muscle cells require a lot of energy, so they burn a lot of calories. In fact, even when you’re not exercising, they burn more calories than fat cells. So the time you spend working out pays off long after you’ve stopped sweating.

As you get older, exercise becomes even more important. With age, you naturally lose muscle mass, which slows your metabolism. Working out can help you get back on track.

It’s straightforward. You must frequently challenge your muscles in two ways:

• Increase the intensity of your workout. Any type of aerobic exercise, such as running or Zumba, burns calories. Increase the intensity, and your body will burn more calories.

• Experiment with intervals. They can be done with any type of cardio. The basic idea is to alternate between higher and lower intensity. You make it extremely difficult, then slow down and repeat. For example, do as many jumping jacks as you can in one minute, followed by two minutes of walking in place. Repeat for another 15 minutes.

• Work out with weights. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, strengthening your muscles will transform you into a more efficient calorie-burning machine even when you’re not exercising. Do one or two sets of 12 to 15 repetitions on each major muscle group (abs, biceps, glutes, quads) twice a week.

With perfect metabolism, you’ll be benefiting much more than just your metabolism. It will benefit your heart, bones, and even your mood.

It’s a win for everyone.

You can also read this article to learn more about the myths surrounding muscle building

The bottom line

Your metabolism is essential to the proper functioning of your body. Age, muscle mass, and physical activity can all influence how your metabolism uses calories for energy. A fast or slow metabolism has no bearing on weight gain or loss. Your weight is more affected by calories in versus calories out. Cutting calories drastically can have a negative impact on how your metabolism works. Speak with your doctor about other options for maintaining a healthy weight.