Metabolism, of the Greek (metabole), which means “change,” and the suffix, which means “–ism,” which means “quality,” or “system,” is the process that the body uses to produce and burn energy from food, which is essential for the body to fulfill all its vital functions that are to breathe, think, digest, circulate the blood, remove waste and maintain body temperature.
The basal metabolic rate can be calculated in two ways: by measuring the heat that the body produces or by measuring the levels of carbon dioxide it exhales. Thus, about whether you can have a fast or slow metabolic rate, endocrinologist Thomas Barber explains in Live Science that people “differ in their metabolic rate, but if you look at their metabolism per unit or kilogram of lean mass, in reality, this rate is remarkably constant throughout the population. Most of the metabolic process acts on the lean tissue of the body, so if we consider people only for their lean mass, we are all quite similar.”
According to Barber, differences in metabolism arise due to inequalities in fat amounts compared to lean mass in each person’s body. That is, if two people who weigh the same, but one of them has 50% body fat and 50% lean mass, and the other only has 10% body fat, then the person with the more lean mass will have a higher metabolic rate.
Can the metabolic rate be changed?
It is common to wonder if it is possible to accelerate metabolism to help burn more fat and thus increase weight loss, but the truth is that there are many myths about how to do it and few tactics that work. Here are some of the most effective:
Physical exercise, key to speeding up metabolism
According to Barber, increasing the level of physical activity can have a positive effect. Building muscle leads to an increase in lean mass, which can lead to an impact on your metabolic rate. In general, the ideal is to combine cardio with strength, as aerobic exercises involve rapid and high calorie expenditure, but sometimes weight training is more effective because it causes the muscle to work hard and the basal metabolism rises.
Take care of your diet
It is essential to choose varied and healthy foods and avoid those that contain a lot of sugar and fat. In addition, there are some studies that claim that consuming green tea, caffeine, or spicy peppers can help lose weight. The truth is that, although these foods can give a small stimulus to your metabolism, they will not give you a significant weight difference.
Eat 5 meals a day
Scientists from the Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), have found that, if you spend many hours without eating, your body reduces its metabolism drastically and reduces the burning of fat. Calorie spending increases immediately after eating, as the body needs to digest the nutrients and use the energy in them.
Sleep well
Although sleep does not accelerate metabolism, not doing so does carry weight gain, so it is important to carry out a sleeping routine for a minimum of hours that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is between 7 and 8 hours a day.
Certain medical conditions can also affect the metabolic rate; an overactive thyroid, for example, would make a person burn energy faster. However, if left untreated, it could lead to serious health problems. A hypoactive thyroid, on the other hand, would have the opposite effect on metabolism. However, both conditions can be easily controlled with proper medication.