15 things you should know about metabolism to stay in shape

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You can boost your metabolism with water, spices, and a ten-minute workout.

1. You spend the most calories simply to maintain life

There is such a thing as the basic rate of metabolism or metabolism at rest (resting metabolic rate, RMR). This is the number of calories that the body uses for all the chemical processes necessary for life.

In other words, basal metabolism is the energy that we spend when we do nothing at all – we do not move or even digest food.

And for most people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, basal metabolism accounts for 65–70% of all daily energy expenditure. Only the remaining 30–35% is accounted for by physical activity and digestion of food.

2. Your metabolic rate largely depends on genetics

Studies of siblings and twins have shown that metabolism is 40–45% determined by genetics. The same applies to the thermic effect of carbohydrates: how much energy you spend digesting food depends on 40–50% of your DNA profile.

Even how many calories you burn during exercise is partly determined by your genes. However, only when working at low power.

This explains why not all people lose weight and gain muscle mass equally well on certain diets. Everything is individual and you will have to try to find your ideal regimen.

3. Metabolism slows down with age and how to avoid it

The metabolic rate in adults gradually decreases. Starting from the age of 18-19, you spend less and less energy every year. A sharp decrease in metabolism occurs after 30, then there is a small increase at the age of 50-59, followed by a gradual decline until the very end.

This is one of the reasons why it becomes more difficult to maintain a normal weight and lose extra pounds over the years.

But there is good news: such a decline can be avoided.

One study, Regular exercise and the age-related decline in resting metabolic rate in women, examined the metabolic rate of women of different age groups: 21-35 years and 50-72 years. In inactive young people and older people, the difference between metabolic rates was about 10%. However, in long-distance runners and swimmers, no such difference was found.

Although the study was conducted only on women, scientists believe that regular endurance sports will help to avoid age-related changes for people of both sexes. A great excuse to finally go for a run or sign up for a pool.

4. The more muscle, the faster the metabolism

Skeletal muscles make up 45-55% of body weight and make the greatest contribution to energy expenditure, especially during physical activity.

Therefore, despite their large body mass, obese people have a lower resting metabolism than those of normal weight.

The more muscle you can build, the more energy your body will spend on maintaining it. Consequently, your resting metabolism will also increase.

5. Calculators can be wrong

Different formulas are used to calculate basal metabolic rate, but none of them gives an accurate idea of ​​how much energy you actually burn and how many calories you need to consume to maintain or lose weight.

The Mifflin-Saint-George and Harris-Benedict equations are considered the most reliable, but they are subject to errors.

The average deviation according to common formulas is from 314 to 445 kcal per day. In fact, this is a full meal.

In addition, the more muscle mass a person has, the more the formulas are wrong, underestimating energy needs.

When the accuracy of the calculations was checked on young athletes, it turned out that the most reliable equations underestimate the daily calorie requirement by 284 kcal in women (23% fat) and by 110 kcal in men (15% fat).

6. Lack of sleep speeds up metabolism, but it does not help you lose weight

During a night's rest, energy expenditure decreases, so the less you sleep, the more calories you burn per day.

One study found that people who sleep 5 hours burn 5% more calories per day than those who sleep 9 hours. Another experiment found that 24 hours without sleep increases energy expenditure by an average of 7% per day.

However, along with the activation of calorie expenditure, appetite also increases, as well as cravings for fatty and sweet foods. So if you do not control your diet, after a bad night you will quickly cover the additional energy expenditure with snacks.

7. Stress does not lower metabolism, but can lead to weight gain

A recent study showed that psychological stress and anxiety levels do not affect resting metabolism in any way.

However, chronic stress can still lead to weight gain. Constant anxiety changes the concentration of hunger and satiety hormones, causing you to eat more than you need and rely on high-calorie foods.

In addition, stress reduces the body's ability to oxidize fats and expend energy after consuming fatty foods.

If you are nervous, in the next six hours you will burn about 104 kcal less than if everything was fine. Scientists have calculated that daily stress can result in an increase of 5 kg per year.

8. Strict diets slow down metabolism

When you drastically reduce the calorie intake of your diet and lose weight, the body goes into energy-saving mode: the basal metabolism slows down and may remain so even after you restore the normal calorie intake. And a number of studies back it up.

Slowing metabolism is partly due to the loss of muscle mass that goes along with fat if nothing is done to preserve it. When you go back to your usual diet, the weight is quickly gained. Fortunately, this can be avoided if you choose the right diet.

9. A large amount of protein speeds up metabolism even on a diet

The body needs to spend much more energy on digesting dietary protein than on processing carbohydrates and fats.

About 20-30% of the calories you get from protein will go to its digestion.

Due to this effect, protein increases energy expenditure at rest, helping to maintain a normal weight. Moreover, high protein intake helps to preserve and even increase muscle mass during a diet and thus avoid slowing down the metabolism.

10. Exercise increases resting metabolism even during a diet

Physical activity not only increases energy expenditure throughout the day, but also affects the level of resting metabolism, increasing it even in conditions of calorie deficit.

And strength training is the best way to do this. It not only increases the effect of metabolism at rest and during sleep, but also helps maintain and build muscle mass.

11. Too intense training can slow down metabolism

Both aerobic and strength training are equally good at maintaining the level of basal metabolism, but if the activity becomes exhausting, the opposite happens.

Observation of experienced cyclists has shown that during periods of heavy loads – up to 150% of the usual training intensity – energy expenditure at rest is significantly reduced.

12. Spices can increase metabolism

Some spices activate thermogenesis during food digestion, causing the body to burn more calories. These include ginger, pepper, and chili.

Add these spices to your food and drinks and you can burn an additional 40-50 kcal per day. Moreover, ginger and chili peppers have anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties, which can have a positive effect on overall health.

13. Ten minutes of physical activity can speed up metabolism

This applies to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) – alternating short periods of high intensity with intervals of rest or recovery activity. For example, 20 seconds of sprinting and 10 seconds of jogging.

Due to the high intensity, HIIT burns more calories than the same amount of quiet work, is an excellent way to improve endurance and speed up your resting metabolism.

14. Coffee and tea boost metabolism

The two most common drinks help burn more calories due to their caffeine content, a substance that stimulates the central nervous system.

One cup of brewed coffee (about 250 ml, 100 mg of caffeine) increases energy expenditure by 9.2 kcal per hour for the next three hours after consumption.

Green tea also contains caffeine, as well as catechins, which are substances with antioxidant properties. Together, they increase thermogenesis and help prevent metabolic slowdown even on low-calorie diets.

15. Cold water can increase metabolism

Some studies confirm that plain water can increase energy expenditure at rest.

For example, in a scientific study by Michael Boschmann involving 14 healthy, non-overweight men and women, it was found that 500 ml of cool water (22 ° C) increased the participants' metabolism by 30%.

People burned calories faster just 10 minutes after drinking, and after 30-40 minutes the effect went off scale. Scientists have calculated that by drinking 2 liters of water a day, a person can burn an additional 95 kcal.

Three years later, Clive M. Brown conducted a similar experiment with eight young healthy people of both sexes and received far less optimistic results.

In his study, about 500 ml of cold water (3 ° C) increased the metabolism of the subjects by only 4.5% within an hour after drinking. Brown concluded that this was not enough to help with weight loss.

In addition, the scientist noted that Boschmann's work used direct calorimetry in a special chamber, and not an indirect respiratory calorimetry device that is worn on the participant's head in the form of a dome or mask.

It is possible that Boschmann really measured incorrectly, twice (in 2007, he again conducted an experiment in a respiratory chamber and received 24% after 500 ml of cold water). But in 2011, another work was published that tested calorie expenditure in obese children.

Here, as in Brown's experiment, an indirect calorimeter was used, but the results were similar to those obtained by Boschmann. Within 40 minutes after taking 10 ml of cold water (4 ° C) per kilogram of body weight, the resting metabolic rate in children increased by 25%.

It is difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions, since the results vary and the topic requires further research. But if you're looking to lose weight, a couple of liters of cool water a day, divided into several doses, can make a difference.