How to understand your metabolism

Metabolism is often discussed but perhaps not fully understood. The Cleveland Clinic says a person's metabolism encompasses all of the processes within cells that keep the body functioning as it should. Metabolism provides the body with constant energy so it can perform essential tasks like breathing and digestion. There are many myths surrounding the metabolic process. The following are some things to know about metabolism and whether it is possible to utilize it to spur weight loss. What is a fast metabolism or a slow metabolism? A person's basal metabolic rate (BMR) may be fast, slow or somewhere in between. Someone with a fast BMR will burn a lot of calories, even while at rest. Those with a slow BMR need fewer calories to keep it going. Genetics, medication use, illness, and activity level may affect BMR. Does exercise boost metabolism? The answer to this question is yes and no. According to MedlinePlus, it is true that a person burns more calories when they exercise, but that increased calorie burn only lasts as long as the workout and maybe an hour or so afterwards. Once a person stops moving, his or her metabolism goes back to its resting rate. Therefore, eating a ton of calories after a workout thinking that a red-hot metabolism will burn through them for the rest of the day could be setting a person up for weight gain. The same can be said for mistakenly thinking adding muscle will boost metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat and that boost does last a bit longer than the workout itself. However, most people only gain a few pounds of muscle in the exercises they do. It's not a big enough difference to affect metabolism dramatically. One may have to be a body builder to see a BMR boost associated with strength training. When muscles are not in active use, they burn very few calories. What has the biggest impact on metabolism? Metabolism is largely influenced by genetics, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Therefore, diet and exercise can be beneficial, but ultimately a person's genes dictate BMR. Also, most of the time the activities of keeping the brain, heart, kidneys, and lungs working account for most of a person's metabolic function. What is diet-induced thermogenesis? Many people think that restrictive diets that are light on calories are good for losing weight, but that can sometimes backfire by slowing down a person's BMR. Harvard Health says diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), or the effect of eating certain metabolism-boosting foods, may increase resting metabolic rate. Foods and beverages that may impact DIT include lean protein, unrefined carbohydrates, caffeine, and green tea. DIT tends to be higher in the morning, so eating larger meals earlier in the day may help burn more calories. How does sleep affect metabolism? While the jury is still out on whether or not lack of sleep can lower BMR, a 2019 study published in the Journal of Lipid Research found that a lack of sleep for four nights or longer may slightly decrease how the body metabolizes fat. Also, those who don't get enough sleep often feel hungry and may overeat as a result. This isn't a direct metabolic cause, but one to consider nonetheless. Metabolism is a complex process that is affected by many things, none greater than genetics. A person may be able to realize moderate gains in boosting metabolic rate but there is no magic pill to increase metabolism.