Metabolisms… we’ve all got one, but every person’s functions differently. There is so much to know about metabolisms, how they function and how to make yours thrive. Get up to speed on metabolism with this read!
What is metabolism?
The straightforward definition of metabolism is ”the sum of the chemical reactions that take place within each cell of a living organism that provide energy for vital processes and to synthesise new organic material.” (Kornberg, 2023). However, this really only scrapes the surface of what metabolism is and does for our bodies. Most commonly metabolism is referred to when considering fat loss and muscle gain, but it does this through building up tissues and energy stores and breaking down tissues and energy stores to create fuel for the body to function. A person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories someone burns in a day while at rest. This number can be influenced by the amount of energy their body stores and burns from eating and exercise, for example, exercise and burning calories will increase this rate, whereas eating and being sedentary will lower this rate.
Factors affecting metabolism?
In the body the metabolism is controlled by the endocrine system (hormones), the pancreas and also the genetic makeup of a specific person. In particular the thyroid releases the hormone thyroxine which plays a role in determining the speed of metabolic chemical reactions in a person’s body. The pancreas secretes hormones to determine whether the body’s metabolic activity is to build up tissues and energy stores (called anabolic reactions), or to break them down (called catabolic reactions). An example of this is when you eat food, the blood’s glucose levels increase which alerts the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin to signal cells to start anabolic activity (building up tissue and energy stores). A person’s genes and health condition can impact their metabolic rate, for example if they have a naturally muscular and lean build ,their metabolic rate would be higher than someone who has a higher body fat percentage and lower muscle mass (Hirsch, 2019).
Other factors that influence an individual’s metabolism include the amount they exercise, their muscle mass, fat percentage, what they eat and drink, how much they sleep and lifestyle factors including stress. The great part about metabolism is, it can always be altered by changing your body composition, eating, exercise and lifestyle habits (Better Health Victoria, 2020).
How to make it thrive?
As mentioned already there are many things that can be done to alter your metabolic rate through lifestyle and dietary factors. Regular daily exercise with movements that help to increase muscle mass such as weight training is a great place to begin, as we increase muscle mass our metabolic rate increases too. Eating a healthy and balanced diet full of fruit, vegetables, protein, good fats and carbohydrates is important to provide the body with the energy it needs. Quantity of food also plays a factor here, basically if you eat more than your daily energy expenditure your body will store fat, however if you eat within your body’s daily energy expenditure it won’t. For weight loss, eating slightly under this amount will help your body to convert the stored fat into energy. It’s important to note that starving your body by eating significantly under its energy expenditure is not a sustainable or healthy way to lose weight and can lead to further health implications. For more information on how to safely do this, seek help from a nutritionist or dietician.
Making sure your body gets enough sleep is vital for building muscle mass and keeping a good metabolism. Studies have found that people who were trying to lose weight and had less than 7 hrs sleep a night, body’s used muscle to convert to energy whereas people who had at least 7 hrs sleep a night used stored fat to convert to energy while maintaining muscle mass (Lamon et al., 2021). Stress is also a huge influence on your body’s metabolism, when we stress the body produces a hormone called cortisol, this can affect the other hormones that help to control metabolism (Seematter et al., 2005).
Functional metabolic foods
While there is no such thing as a magical metabolic food, there are definitely foods that can indirectly help to improve your metabolism. One of the main ways that foods can do this are by decreasing adipose tissue (fat tissue) in the body to reduce overall body fat and increase the body’s metabolic rate. Some foods that have been tried and tested for aiding in this include ginseng, high protein foods, avocado, chilli peppers and wholegrains.
Get moving
Getting your metabolism moving has so many added health benefits from increased energy, to hormone balance, and a healthier body composition. So start taking some steps, both physically and metaphorically speaking to a thriving metabolism and healthier you!
References
Better Health Victoria, (2020). Metabolism, Better Health Channel. Accessed on 06/07/2023, <https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism>
Hirsch, L. (2019). Metabolism, Nemours Children’s Health. Accessed on 06/07/2023, <https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/metabolism.html#:~:text=Metabolism%20is%20a%20balancing%20act,for%20body%20functions%20(called%20catabolism)>
Kornberg, H. (2023). Metabolism, Britannica. Accessed on 06/07/2023, <https://www.britannica.com/science/metabolism>
Lamon, S., Morabito, A., Arentson-Lantz, E., Knowles, O., Vincent, G. E., Condo, D., Alexander, S. E., Garnham, A., Paddon-Jones, D., & Aisbett, B. (2021). The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiological reports, 9(1), e14660. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14660
Seematter, G., Binnert, C., & Tappy, L. (2005). Stress and metabolism. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders, 3(1), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2005.3.8