What is metabolism ? It can be defined as the set of biochemical reactions that occur in the body, either to obtain energy and organic molecules (anabolism) or to destroy them (catabolism).
It is therefore an essential process for health, but its keys are still largely unknown… However, taking into account what is known, it can help us to enjoy a healthy metabolism and to treat its alterations when they exist. Obesity, diabetes and many other health problems are often attributed to a poor functioning of the metabolism.
The effects that food has on us, and especially the ease or difficulty of maintaining our weight range, are important clues. The main difference between one metabolism and another is the speed with which they transform nutrients into energy.
Lifestyle conditions our metabolism
The diet we follow directly affects our metabolism, which is why it is so important to follow eating habits that have a positive impact on the functioning of our metabolism.
However, diet is not the only thing that affects it, because bad eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress and poor rest negatively affect our metabolism, as well as our physical and mental health.
On the contrary, if we eat healthy foods, stay active and avoid toxic habits such as alcohol and tobacco, we will be closer to good health and our metabolism will be more efficient.
Metabolism, basal metabolism and weight control
Experts differentiate between metabolism, basal metabolism and weight gain or loss.
Metabolism
They are the chemical processes that occur in cells to produce energy and materials to develop the vital functions of our body.
Basal metabolism
Minimum energy expenditure necessary for the body to carry out its vital processes (respiration, circulation, functioning of the nervous system, etc.) in conditions of physical and mental rest, and at an adequate temperature.
It is also known as basal metabolic rate (BMR) and in a healthy adult it represents between 50-70% of total energy expenditure. If the individual is more active, the basal metabolism accounts for less of the expenditure, if the individual is more sedentary, the basal metabolism takes up most of the daily expenditure.
Weight control
The two concepts above affect weight control because the body of a sedentary person with poor eating habits needs less energy for its vital processes than another active person who follows a healthy diet.
Metabolic efficiency also plays a role, as some people have a more efficient metabolism for obtaining energy from food, while others generate less energy with the same nutrients. Some thyroid diseases can affect weight control.
Factors that influence basal metabolism
There are several factors, intrinsic and extrinsic, that determine metabolism.
Age
As we age, our body composition changes, the proportion of lean or metabolically active mass, such as mainly muscle and bone tissue, decreases, which is accompanied by a reduction in basal metabolism.
We can reverse it with exercise, especially strength training, which helps maintain or increase lean body mass.
Body composition
Regardless of age, the proportion of lean body mass, which is the metabolically active tissue of the body, is the component that most influences basal metabolism.
Body size
Larger people or those with a higher proportion of lean mass have higher metabolic rates than smaller subjects; however, this does not occur when the fat component is greater, since it is not as metabolically active as the muscle component.
Climate
The body consumes energy to maintain a constant temperature. Sometimes it will have to generate heat to maintain itself in very low ambient temperatures. Other times, however, it will have to cool down and to do so it expends energy by releasing sweat on the skin to cool it down. Those who live in tropical climates have a decreased basal metabolism, while it increases slightly in cold climates.
Sex
Metabolic differences between sexes depend mainly on the difference in body size and composition. In general, women tend to have a higher proportion of fat to muscle than men, which is why they have lower basal metabolic rates.
Menopause and older people
When women reach menopause, their body composition changes due to the loss of lean mass and their diet must adapt to this new physiological state to cover all their needs. The same occurs with older people, who gradually lose metabolically active mass.
Stress
There are stressful situations that, by inducing an increase in adrenaline, lead to continuous increases in heart rate, volume and respiratory rate, which, if maintained over time, lead to increased expenditure by basal metabolism, but which have very negative consequences for our body.
Body temperature
Fever increases the basal metabolism by around 13% for each degree of temperature above 37 degrees, because our physiological systems such as the cardiovascular or renal systems have to adapt to a higher internal temperature.
Expense in digestion
Consuming, digesting and absorbing nutrients from food also has an energy cost. Digesting proteins requires more energy than digesting fats or carbohydrates.
Other factors
Consumption of certain substances, such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, stimulates metabolic rate. It can also increase or decrease in situations of stress and illness, depending on the clinical situation.
How can we speed up metabolism?
The type of diet has a radical influence on the functioning of the metabolism. To stimulate it, a series of changes can be introduced into the diet:
More proteins
To extract calories from food, the body has to expend some energy (calories), and protein digestion requires the most investment, twice as much as carbohydrates and ten times more than fats. But not only do they require more metabolic activity , they also provide a feeling of satiety , which prevents overeating.
Proteins also help prevent the loss of muscle mass that is associated with low-calorie diets to reduce body weight.
- Legumes , including soy derivatives, are the main source of protein in vegetarian diets.
- The correct dose of protein needed can be achieved by following several guidelines, one of which is to get at least 0.8 g of protein per day for every kilogram of body weight . This amount can be increased without unbalancing the diet, especially if it is obtained from healthy plant foods.
- Filling a quarter of your plate with protein is another guideline based on Harvard University studies. This is something that most people meet or exceed (conventional meat or fish dishes tend to have an excess of protein), but only at lunch or dinner.
- Breakfasts can also contain a significant proportion of protein. Sweet, "cafeteria" breakfasts are often very low in protein, something that can be modified by including protein foods such as yogurt, tofu, hummus or eggs .
- In addition, you can eat a portion of nuts and seeds between meals (mid-morning or mid-afternoon) to stimulate your metabolism, as long as you do not add more calories than necessary to your total daily intake.
Exercise
Exercise boosts your metabolism long after you've finished doing it. It's true that we burn more calories when we exercise, especially when we raise our heart rate with activities like cycling or swimming.
This increased calorie use continues for the duration of the exercise and we may continue to burn additional calories for about an hour after exercising, but the after-effects of exercise end there - once we stop moving our metabolism will return to the rate we were at before.
Drink more water
Not only is it a much better option than sweetened beverages, but water can temporarily boost your metabolism. Although there are conflicting studies, some suggest that drinking half a liter of water can increase your metabolic rate by up to 30% for an hour. In any case, drinking water before eating can reduce the volume of your meal, which is a good idea if your goal is to lose weight.
Avoid low-calorie diets
People who are interested in activating or “accelerating” their metabolism are often those who have problems with their weight, and it is not unusual for them to encounter contradictory messages. They are interested in burning calories and body fat reserves, so they indulge in low-calorie diets, but by reducing calorie intake, their basal metabolic rate decreases. This is one of the reasons why it is not advisable to maintain diets below 1,100 calories per day for too long. It is much more sensible to consider long-term weight loss with a healthy diet that is easy to maintain over time.
https://www.cun.es/chequeos-salud/vida-sana/nutricion/metabolismo-energetico
https://salud.nih.gov/recursos-de-salud/nih-noticias-de-salud/cuidar-su-metabolismo#
https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002257.htm
https://www.academianutricionydietetica.org/nutricion-deportiva/relacion-metabolismo/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
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