Metabolism: how it works, types and ways to increase its speed

Metabolism in humans is the process of converting food into energy necessary for the functioning of the body. Many assume that metabolism is solely responsible for burning fat. But in fact, it is a complex process that is used for many functions, including respiration, circulation, and cell repair. Read on Joy-pup the secrets of metabolism, ways and products that speed up this process.

What is metabolism?

If we consider our body as a working machine, then metabolism or metabolism is a way to provide the engine with fuel to work. The concept of metabolism is a biochemical process occurring in the human body. Metabolic reactions are classified as breakdown, which releases energy, and synthesis, which leads to cell growth. It is a continuous process that begins at the moment of conception and ends on the day of our death. Everything that happens in our body – from digesting food to breathing or scrolling a smartphone, contributes to the metabolism.

There are two types of metabolism – anabolism and catabolism. The former supports cell growth, maintains and repairs tissues, and conserves energy. During this process, small simple molecules become large and complex. Catabolism breaks down large fat and carbohydrate molecules to release energy. The energy of catabolism heats up the body, moves the muscles and fuels anabolism.

What is fast and slow metabolism?

Metabolic rate is the number of calories a person burns per day. Depending on this, there are fast and slow metabolism. Men generally burn more calories than women because they have less fat and more muscle. Young people burn more calories than older people as muscle decreases and fat increases. Almost everything the body does requires energy and promotes metabolism.

With a fast metabolism, calories are actively burned, which reduces the rate of weight gain, despite more food intake. There are many factors that influence this: genetics, food thermogenesis, age, gender, physical activity level, muscle mass and diet. The most interesting thing about a fast metabolism is that a person can eat a lot without gaining weight.

A slow metabolism is a process in which the metabolic rate is very low, calories are not burned very actively. Even if a person consumes less food, the additional weight gain is still high. A slow metabolism is also affected by food thermogenesis, love of exercise, age, sex, nutrition, and genetics. Of all the factors influencing a slow metabolism, genetics plays an important role. Foods with low thermogenesis greatly contribute to slowing down metabolism, fat deposition, which leads to cardiovascular diseases.

Metabolic indicators:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Metabolic rate during sleep or complete rest. This indicator accounts for about 70% of the total calories that you burn per day. This metabolic rate is at a minimum in order for the lungs to breathe, the heart to pump blood, the brain to function, and the body to keep warm.
• Thermic effect of food: the number of calories burned in the process of digestion and assimilation of food by our body. Typically, this level accounts for about 10% of your body’s total energy expenditure.
• Thermic effect of exercise: an increase in the number of calories burned during exercise.
• Thermogenesis in non-exercise activities: the amount of calories needed for non-exercise activities such as walking, moving, etc.

Ways to speed up metabolism

Increase the amount of water in the body. Drink a glass of water before every meal and snack. In addition, you can add fresh fruits and vegetables that contain water.

Enrich your diet with proteins – turkey, beef, white chicken, fish, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs and dairy products. Protein can speed up metabolism because the body spends more energy digesting and absorbing it than consuming fats and carbohydrates.

Frequent snacks. Many smaller meals will be effective for weight loss. A small snack every 3-4 hours will help stabilize your metabolism, thereby burning calories more efficiently throughout the day.

Build muscle mass. So the body will constantly burn calories, even if you do nothing. The resting metabolic rate in people with a lot of muscle will be much higher than in the opposite case.

Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism for hours after your workout. High-intensity exercise results in a larger and longer-lasting increase in resting metabolic rate.

Foods that increase metabolism

To support the metabolism in the body, you can add the following products to the daily menu:

• сhile
• coffee
• cocoa
• almond
• tea
• beans
• cauliflower
• apple vinegar
• coconut oil
• seaweed
• lemon
• pomelo
• apple
• ginger
• cinnamon.

Prevention of metabolic disorders

There are many strategies to prevent a healthy person from developing a metabolic disorder over time. The main ones are daily exercise and smoking cessation. Nutrition also plays a huge role. Doctors recommend a Mediterranean diet, a DASH diet, or a vegetarian diet low in saturated and trans fats and high in fiber.