15 Things You Should Know about Metabolism

Amy Taylor June 10, 2013

The term ‘metabolism’ often comes along with issues on weight loss. But what is it really and why is it so important to our health? Here are fifteen interesting facts about metabolism every one of us should know.

Metabolism is vital to fat-to-energy conversion. Metabolism is a biological process in which the body converts fats into energy. It is vital to almost all other processes within your body, such as breathing, digestion, muscle-building and blood circulation. Metabolism involves two distinct sub-processes: the anabolic and the catabolic reactions. The latter is involved in breaking down molecules for energy whilst the former is involved in building cellular structures and storing energy.

Metabolic rate refers to the rate of which your body burns calories. Metabolic rate is the speed of your calorie-burning ability, even when at rest.

Your body fats affect your metabolic rate. The leaner your muscles are and the less fat you have, the faster your metabolism is. This is why gym goers or those who keep an active lifestyle usually have the highest metabolic boost.

There are several factors that influence metabolism. These include age, genes and lifestyle. Genes, in particular, have a crucial role. This is why some people manage to stay ‘thin’ no matter how much food they eat or how less often they exercise whilst others find it hard to shed excess fats without dieting and undergoing a workout regime. As to lifestyle, people who do not exercise and observe a healthy diet, as well as those who smoke, generally have poorer metabolism than those who observe a healthy lifestyle. Metabolism also declines with age.

The thyroid gland regulates metabolism. Taking care of your thyroid system is crucial if you want to maintain good metabolism. It is the thyroid that regulates metabolism by producing hormones that control your metabolic rate, how your system utilises fats and proteins, and how your body responds to other hormones. There’s no wonder why problems in the thyroid often result to poor metabolism.

Protein speeds up your metabolism. Protein is vital to muscle-building. It’s not enough that you exercise. You should also give attention to your food intake. Adding protein-rich foods in your daily diet, such as egg, chicken, lean red meat, dairy products, beans, nuts and legumes can significantly increase your metabolism.

Drinking coffee may boost metabolism. Caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up metabolic rate. There’s no wonder why it is often an ingredient used in many weight loss products.

Spicy foods also boost metabolism. Sprinkling a bit of chilli powder in your favourite dish may give you a quick metabolic boost. Capsaicin, a compound present in chilli stimulates a process called thermogenesis, induces the body to produce heat, which in turn promotes calorie burning.

Men tend to have higher metabolic rate than women. This is because women have higher levels of fat tissues. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that if you are a female, you could not get an optimal level of metabolism. With proper diet and exercise, you’ll get a long way. Likewise, you should not feel comfortable about this fact if you are a male. Plenty of things can ruin your metabolic rate.

Strength training may boost metabolism. Although the benefits are real, the way strength training boosts metabolism is still unclear. Some scientists say that this type of exercise boosts your resting metabolic rate even while you’re asleep. But according to the American College of Sports Medicine, for most people, its benefits lie on the calories burned while you do the exercise.

Too much calorie restriction negatively affects metabolism. People who strive hard to lose weight by drastically cutting their calorie intake are vulnerable to poor metabolism. Crash diets, which involve consuming less than 1,200 calories per day is likely to result in slower metabolic rate, which in turn, makes it harder to burn calories and lose weight. Experts recommend dieters to eat light healthy snacks in between meals. Meanwhile, consuming more than the recommended daily calorie count (2,000 calories in women and more than 2,500 calories in men) also affects metabolism and could lead to weight gain.

Not all supplements are considered metabolism booster. A lot of dietary supplements claim that they can help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism. But you have to be cautious. Some of the popular weight loss ingredients such as Ephedra and L-carnitine are backed by very little scientific evidence. In fact, in some countries such as the US, the use of Ephedra as a diet solution is banned.

Your metabolism is affected by the climate. When it’s cold, your body is forced to speed up metabolism to keep you warm. When it’s warm, your metabolism increases to cool down your body’s temperature. People living in tropical countries have a resting metabolic rate that is 15 to 20 per cent higher than those living in cold regions.

Most of your calories are used by your body’s internal mechanisms. 65 to 75 per cent of calories you burn per day are utilised to maintain internal processes in your body whilst only 30 per cent are spent in physical activities.

Some medical conditions affect metabolism. There are medical conditions that can lead to poor metabolism. These include thyroid problems and diabetes.

Can you give some more tips to speed up metabolism? Feel free to post a comment below.