We
’ve all heard the term “metabolism.” We know that some people
have a fast metabolism and some people have a slower one.
We’ve all heard the term “metabolism.” We know that some people have a fast metabolism and some people have a slower one.
But what exactly is metabolism, and why does it differ from person to person?
Metabolism is defined as “the chemical and physical processes in the body that provides energy for the maintenance of life.” In other words, it’s the way our bodies use the calories we obtain from our diets. By using calories for fuel, your metabolism drives all your bodily functions.
Everybody’s body runs on what is referred to a “resting metabolic rate” (RMR). This measures the amount of calories your body needs to function on a day-to-day basis.
The calories required for vital functions, such as breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure account for 60 percent of the total calories burned in any given day.
Exercise and other physical activities make up 20 to 30 percent of your daily calorie expenditure. Digestion uses only 10 percent.
Have you ever watched your friend scarf down a whole pizza, while you nibbled on a salad? What about looking longingly at that piece of chocolate cake while you are eating an apple?
The fact of the matter is that some people burn calories more efficiently than others. This difference is partly genetic. On the bright side, your metabolic rate is not set in stone.
There are a number of outside factors that influence your metabolism. For example, warmer climates will tend to increase metabolic rate due to the necessity for more oxygen in your system.
Another positive influence on your metabolism is exercise, specifically weight/resistance training. Muscle is a highly active tissue with extremely high-energy requirements for its maintenance and rebuilding requirements. In fact, muscle burns five times more calories than fat does.
Even when we are sleeping, our muscles are responsible for more than 25 percent of the calories we use. Therefore, the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at any given time.
Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise like walking, jogging or hiking is also crucial for boosting metabolism and burning fat. But if this is the only exercise you do, your percentage of body fat will probably be higher because it does not build additional muscle mass.
Diet also plays a large role in the speed of your metabolism. Drastic reduction in caloric intake will slow the rate you burn those calories off.
Our bodies have an amazing way of protecting themselves. If you are not taking in enough calories to sustain your body’s normal function, than your body will go into starvation mode.
It will conserve the calories it gets, because it does not know when it will get fed again. Thus, it will slow down the rate at which it uses those calories for use at a later time.
Furthermore, food supplies chemical energy. Every cell in your body uses energy from food, and it must be continually replaced. If you don’t get enough, you will not keep up with your body’s metabolic demands.
Since eating too little is detrimental to your metabolism, should you eat a lot? Yes and no. Yes, you should eat frequently, but no, you should eat large, heavy meals.
Eating four to six small, healthy meals a day will keep your metabolic rate up. By eating this way, the body is not forced into guessing when the next calories are coming and will stay out of starvation mode. In general, however, it is best to keep the bulk of your calories early in the day when you are the most active.
Certain influential factors are beyond our control. Age and gender also have an effect on metabolism.
Our metabolic rates tend to slow down as we get older. This is because there is a gradual loss of muscle tissue as we get older (all the more reason to start a weight training program early to minimize the loss). And, as most women would deem unfair by Mother Nature, men burn more calories.
This explains why some people can eat whatever they want and not gain weight. Others gain weight by, what seem to be, at the mere sight of food.
Although we are born with a particular metabolism, it is one part of our lives in an uncontrollable world over which we have some degree of control.
