8 Facts You Must Know About Metabolism
You must have very often envied your skinny friend who gorges on food to his/her heart’s content with no visible effects. On the contrary, you have to count your calories every time you snack. The secret lies in the difference in the rate of metabolism. Metabolism includes all the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life. Simply put , it’s conversion of what we eat into energy. Here are a few facts that you must know about body metabolism.
1. Your metabolism is defined by your genes
Most of the human characteristics are genetically defined. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is no exception. People with genetically high BMR tend to burn off higher amount of calories than others. Familial disorders like early obesity are mostly due to low metabolic rates.
2. Physical activity boosts metabolic rate
Regular exercisers tend to be leaner and fitter due to effective utilization of the calories they consume. Resistance training (or weight bearing exercise) is the most effective way to increase BMR. Excess fat stores are burnt and your muscle mass builds up. Health hazards like obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia are often a consequence of sedentary lifestyle which implies low metabolic rates.
3. Adjusting your food consumption can help to stay lean
Every individual utilizes calories at a different rate. It, therefore, becomes essential for you to know your body metabolism. It is not always imperative to find ways to increase your metabolism to match your calorie intake. On the contrary, adjusting your calorie consumption in accordance with your metabolic rate would be a smarter and easier solution.
4. Medical conditions can affect metabolism
A variety of medical conditions can mess with your metabolism. Thyroid hormone imbalance can cause drastic alterations in your BMR and can adversely affect body homeostasis. Sudden weight loss or weight gain are the hallmark signs of hyper and hypo thyroidism, respectively. Similarly, diabetes, famously known as the silent killer, sends your metabolism for a toss.
