Metabolism is the “engine” inside the body that mysteriously decides whether to turn the food we eat into energy or into extra pounds on the scales.

A “slow” or “sluggish” metabolism is usually the main culprit in situations where we struggle to lose weight or gain weight quickly. It’s no wonder there’s a billion-dollar industry with thousands of products that promise to speed up your metabolism for easier weight loss. However, experts say that there are more effective solutions that can set the metabolism in motion.

What is metabolism and how does it work?

Metabolism encompasses all the vital chemical reactions in the body, providing the energy needed for basic functions such as respiration and digestion. When we discuss metabolism in the context of body weight, we are really referring to basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories burned at rest based on the ratio of muscle to body fat.

Several factors such as gender, age, weight and lifestyle can affect metabolism, and it naturally slows with age and can become dysfunctional during restrictive diets.

Why metabolism slows down with age

In general, by the age of 40, the body tends to maintain muscle mass and metabolic rate more efficiently. Muscles play an important role in burning calories because they need energy to function and maintain.

After 40 years, a gradual decrease in muscle mass begins to occur, this phenomenon is called sarcopenia. This means that the body naturally loses muscle mass with age. At the same time, the ratio of body fat to muscle can change with a relative increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass. These changes are partly the result of hormonal changes that occur with age, as well as a decrease in physical activity or inadequate nutrition.

Muscle mass plays a critical role in determining the basal metabolic rate to support vital functions such as respiration, circulation, and body temperature regulation. At rest, muscle burns more calories than adipose tissue (fat). Therefore, when we lose muscle mass and replace it with fat, the basic level of metabolism decreases.

This reduction in basal metabolism can lead to a tendency to gain weight over time because the body burns fewer calories at rest, and in the absence of appropriate changes in diet and physical activity levels, it may become more difficult to maintain body weight or lose weight as we age.

Why the metabolism is disturbed after losing weight

When you lose a lot of weight, your metabolic rate drops, and this drop is not easily reversed, even if you return to your original weight. This phenomenon is caused by complex factors related to how the body reacts to sudden changes in weight.

Usually, when you follow a weight loss treatment, the body reacts by reducing fat mass, but unfortunately also muscle mass. This phenomenon occurs because the diet involves limiting calorie intake, which forces the body to burn fat for energy. However, fat and muscle are not always distinguished from the point of view of the energy source.

The problem is that even though you regain your previous weight or even lose it, your metabolism doesn’t always fully recover. Studies have shown that after each diet, the rate at which the body burns calories during the process of digesting and metabolizing food slows down by about 15%. This decrease in metabolic rate after dieting can be frustrating for many people, as it makes it harder to keep the weight off and can contribute to a yo-yo effect where the pounds come back or even gain back after the diet ends.

What to do and what to avoid to speed up your metabolism

h3. 1. Be careful what you eat

Pay attention to the types of food you eat, as your diet will affect the amount of energy your body uses to digest, assimilate and metabolize food. This process is called diet-induced thermogenesis, or the heating effect of food, and accounts for approximately 10% of daily energy expenditure.

Studies show that the thermic effect of food is highest for foods rich in protein, as the body needs more energy to break down and digest protein. Eating protein-rich foods will increase your metabolic rate by about 15% (compared to an average of 10% for all foods). On the contrary, carbohydrates will increase it by 10%, and fats – by less than 5%.

But that doesn’t mean you have to go on a protein-only diet to boost your metabolism. Instead, meals should include vegetables and a source of protein balanced with whole carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep the body healthy. The general recommendation is that 20% – 30% of daily calories come from protein, with a minimum daily protein intake of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If we want to lose weight, it is recommended to consume at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and for a person who constantly does sports, the recommended minimum is 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

2. Exercise regularly

By regularly exercising, such as walking, running, swimming, or strength training, you build muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically active tissues and consume more energy than adipose tissue even at rest. So the more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate will be. In other words, you’ll burn more calories at rest, helping you maintain or lose weight more effectively.

To achieve this effect, it is recommended to integrate physical activity into your daily routine. Start with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking or cycling. In addition, you should include two days of strength training per week. These workouts will help increase muscle mass and, therefore, speed up your metabolism.

It is important not to neglect movements, as this can lead to a rapid loss of muscle mass. Losing muscle can slow your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight or keep it off. Therefore, regular, varied and balanced physical activity plays a vital role in maintaining a fast metabolism.

3. Get enough rest

A growing body of research confirms that sleep deprivation can significantly affect metabolism. Lack of sleep disrupts the body’s energy balance. This causes the release of hormones that increase appetite (ghrelin) and the suppression of those that reduce it (leptin).

Lack of sleep can also affect how the body regulates blood sugar and lead to increased insulin resistance, which is linked to type 2 diabetes and difficulty controlling weight.

Insufficient rest can also contribute to a decrease in overall energy levels and motivation to be physically active, which can lead to a decrease in energy expenditure. This means that you will burn fewer calories during your daily activities and during exercise.

In order to improve metabolism and maintain a healthy energy balance, it is important to pay attention to sleep. The recommended goal is to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. This duration of sleep allows the body to recover and properly regulate its metabolic functions.

A good tip for quality sleep is to avoid exposure to screens such as TV, computer or mobile phone for at least an hour before going to bed. These screens emit blue light, which can suppress the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Don’t waste your money on weight loss pills and supplements

There are thousands of products on the market that promise to boost your metabolism and speed up weight loss. While some may contain ingredients that boost your metabolism immediately after consumption, such as caffeine and capsaicin (the ingredient that gives peppers their hot taste), studies show that the effects are temporary – they don’t promote long-term weight loss.

Most products that promise to help you speed up your metabolism and lose weight are not based on any scientific evidence of their effectiveness. Two recently published extensive reviews examined nearly 120 studies of weight loss supplements and found that they simply don’t work, despite their bold advertising.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com