Metabolism can be defined as our bodies' ability to produce energy.
We produce energy by burning calories, which is actually a unit of heat.
We all have different rates of metabolism or calorie burning abilities.
A major contributor to metabolic rates is genetics.
You know those people who eat whatever they want and don't exercise and still stay slim? Not fair right? Well, yes and no.
They may be blessed with a higher rate of metabolism, but weight is not always a true indicator of health and living the healthiest lifestyle.
Although this article does not contain a lot of nutrition information, it may help clear up some questions on how we burn those calories we consume.
Basal of Resting Metabolic Rate About 60-75% of the calories you burn in a typical day are dedicated to keeping you alive.
That's right, when you aren't doing anything you are still burning 60-75% of your total calories burned in a typical day.
Think about it though, your heart is constantly pumping, blood is always flowing, your kidneys don't stop filtering, lungs are in constant exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the list goes on.
Your body is working all day! This is important to recognize, not because it's a good excuse "oh, I'm burning calories right now, I don't need to go for a run", but because there is often the misconception that we have to exercise off all the calories we consume.
Not true.
And not to worry for those who do not fall into the "blessed metabolism" category, genetics is not the only factor involved.
Lean body mass also plays an important role in basal metabolic rates.
Muscle cells burn significantly more calories than fat cells.
This is why men tend to have higher metabolism than woman, they naturally have more muscle mass.
There is another important component with body composition and that is its relationship to age.
I often hear, "I don't know why I am gaining weight, I haven't changed anything in my diet or workouts for the past 20 years".
And that's the main problem; NOT changing anything in the past 20 years can lead to a loss of lean body mass.
Starting at the age of 30, muscle mass will begin to decline, unless we maintain it.
Strength training is vital for the maintenance muscle mass so it can continue to drive our metabolism.
Thermic Effect of Food About 10% of the calories you burn go toward digesting and absorbing foods.
In my last blog, I wrote about the importance of eating every 3-5 hours to fuel our metabolic flame.
Fats, protein and carbohydrates are metabolized a little differently.
Protein does provide a slightly higher thermic effect (or energy burning ability) than fats and carbohydrates.
Now, this does not mean extra protein will help with weight loss nor should anyone be cutting out carbs or fat.
It does however provide access to the importance of balance and getting adequate protein to support healthy weight goals.
Physical Activity The final contributor to metabolic rates is the most variable.
Physical activity can vary from 15-30% depending how active someone is.
This is the area to focus on when you looking to "boost your metabolism".
And while the two previous metabolic contributors are pretty set and may not provide a large change in calorie burning abilities, exercising can create large calorie deficits.
We can burn anywhere from 200-600 calories (give or take of course) in a typical workout.
And don't forget that everyday activity also adds up.
Consider how many more calories that we can add up when we are taking the stairs, washing our own cars, walking to the store, etc.
So remember every movement counts! To sum it up, our basal metabolic rate is what is running constantly so we are burning calories at all times (even sleeping), the thermic effect of food only really occurs when we are eating and digesting food and physical activity is the main way to increase your metabolism.