Understanding and Boosting Your Metabolism
Posted on July 4th, 2006 by garyPosted in Exercise, Fitness, Health
A healthy metabolism is your body’s best way to take off unwanted pounds and keep them off. Your metabolism or metabolic rate refers to the number of calories you burn in maintaining body functions and fueling your activities. Most of us would like to increase our metabolisms and burn more calories while exercising and even at rest. But your metabolism is affected by genetic factors as well as your lifestyle, nutrition and exercise habits. If you learn more about how your metabolism works, you can understand which habits can improve your body’s metabolism.
In addition to calorie burning, metabolism also includes chemical and physical reactions which occur in your body’s tissues. Proteins are used for muscle-building which is called anabolism. Food is broken down into proteins, fats and carbs that your body uses to fuel itself which is called catabolism. Both of these processes are needed to develop strength and stamina and to build resistance to aging and disease.
Exercise, nutrition, and other factors such as sleep and stress can impact your metabolism. Medical conditions can also alter your metabolism. Thyroid conditions and diabetes can interfere with your metabolism. It is important that you talk to your doctor to rule out any of these conditions before you make any changes to your exercise or eating program.
There are habits that can boost caloric burn, promote anabolic growth or encourage the use of fat as a fuel source. There are also habits which can slow the rate at which your body burns calories and fat or create excessive catabolic tissue breakdown, which hinders the fitness progress and can even in some cases, contribute to injury and disease. Learning which habits do what can help you make or break your body’s ability to produce energy from would-be fat.
Fitness and Exercise
Different Types of exercise effects your metabolism in different ways. To get the best results, you should combine different types of exercise into a balanced program that is appropriate for your fitness level.
Heart-rate or zone based cardiovascular training is a great way to boost your metabolism. Exercising at different heart rate zones at different intensities results in metabolic benefits such as increased aerobic capacity, maximized caloric burn and improvements in the way your body burns fat. The health benefits of a cardio routine are too good to ignore. And cardiovascular exercise burns considerably more calories than weight training does.
But do not forget to add weightlifting and resistance work to your routine to help build your muscles. Muscles burn more calories than fat. Even at rest, muscle tissue is three times more metabolically active than fat. Muscle burning is about 6 calories per pound as compared to fat which is 2. The difference can really add up.
Doing both cardio and weight-training can increase your body’s rate of caloric burn for up to two hours after you exercise. It is also important to do a variety of aerobic activities to keep you interested and motivated. Frequently changing and upgrading your fitness routine keeps your body constantly adapting. Pick several different types of activities and do each day in a circuit fashion. Weight training should also be changed up. Vary exercise equipment, reps and sets, amount of weight and pacing to keep things fresh.
Doing no exercise means you miss the opportunity to increase your metabolism. Being sedentary causes all the body systems to slow down. It can also contribute to illness and depression. Overtraining can also negatively affect your metabolism. If you are working out intensely every day, it is important to allow the body to rest at least once a week. You may even need more than a day because the growth-producing, strength-enhancing changes that exercise stimulates occur during rest, not during exercise itself.
Diet and Nutrition
When cells are efficiently producing energy and removing toxins your body is at optimal metabolism. Toxic chemicals in foods like pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones, processed sugars and trans-fats are perceived by the body like any stressor. They trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels often result in reduced thyroid activity which slows metabolism.
You should eat a balance diet of wholesome, natural and nontoxic nutrients in the form of high-quality foods. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Include dairy and animal products in moderation which include fish, lean meat, chicken and eggs. By eating small, frequent meals you can improve your metabolism and digestion. A daily vitamin is also suggested.
Eating too much refined sugar and carbs can aversely affect your metabolism. It can also set you up for diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Many refined sugar products like bagels and pizza- turn to sugar very quickly in your system. If you want a healthy metabolism, try to eliminate processed sugars and refined carbohydrates. Caffeine-laden beverages should also be limited.
Most health experts agree 8-10 cups of water a day is a good goal. You should drink more if exercising regularly. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 10 ounces for every 10-20 minutes of exercise.
Lifestyles and Activities
The proper amount of sleep can boost your metabolism. Sleep is a peak time for growth and repair in the body. Most people need 6-8 hours of high quality sleep per night. Aging also affects your metabolism. Many metabolism-affecting hormones decrease with age.
Any type of movement increases your metabolism. It stimulates muscles and burns calories. Household activities like cleaning and gardening help make a difference. The more active you are throughout the day, contributes to improved metabolism.
If stress is chronic in your life, the overproduction of stress hormones epinephrine or adrenaline and cortisol is a metabolism-depressing disaster. Your body thinking it is under attack will shut down. It stores fat and begins to rob bones and muscle tissues. Stress itself also can lead to metabolism-busting activities such as drinking, overeating and smoking or keep us from performing metabolism building activities like sleeping, eating right and exercising.
Adjusting Your Metabolism
If you are ready to make changes in your diet, exercise and lifestyle to adjust your metabolism you will also be improving your health and vitality. Staying in shape will be easier and more enjoyable. Even if you make some simple changes, you will see and feel positive results. This may inspire you to make even more changes.
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