But another 120-pound person may have a lot less lean mass and more body fat and therefore a “slow” metabolism. In fact, it is possible to have “normal-weight obesity” – a term used when referring to a person who appears thin but who is not very active and therefore has very little muscle mass, Majumdar explained.
A fast metabolism does not necessarily lead to thinness. In fact, studies show that people with overweight/obesity often have fast metabolisms. Their bodies need more energy to keep basic body functions going.
There is such a thing as a slow metabolism. But slow metabolism is rare, and it's usually not what's behind being overweight or obese—that's ultimately a result of interactions among genetics, diet, physical activity, and other factors.
Your metabolic rate does change during your early life, but it plateaus between the ages of 20 and 60, and only decreases by around 1% per year after that. Your total daily energy expenditure also depends on your weight.
Hormones
A shift in your hormones can put the brakes on your body's energy use. That can make you tired. Some conditions, like an underactive or overactive thyroid and diabetes, are hormonal diseases that affect your metabolism. Stress also releases hormones that can trigger a slow-down.
This includes weight lifting, high-intensity interval training, eating enough calories and protein, getting plenty of sleep and drinking green tea. Try adding a few of these strategies into your daily routine to help keep your metabolism fast and even give it a boost.
You might want to blame a medical condition for slow metabolism and weight gain. But rarely does a medical condition slow metabolism enough to cause a lot of weight gain. Conditions that can cause weight gain include Cushing syndrome or having an underactive thyroid gland, also known as hypothyroidism.
Don't worry, tall people, you still have a metabolic advantage. Chances are your basal metabolic rate— the minimum amount of calories you need to function–is higher than that of your short friend.
Your doctor can prescribe a metabolism test and perform it in a medical setting. They may do a blood draw at the hospital or recommend a laboratory where your blood will be drawn. If you wish to choose your own lab, look for one that is Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified .
An average man has a BMR of around 7,100 kJ per day, while an average woman has a BMR of around 5,900 kJ per day. Energy expenditure is continuous, but the rate varies throughout the day. The rate of energy expenditure is usually lowest in the early morning.
A metabolic test is performed in order to estimate your BMR or basal metabolic rate. Rather basic and simple, the test commonly involves having the patient breathe into a tube for up to 10 minutes. This is supposed to help calculate the amount of oxygen that was inhaled to the amount of carbon dioxide that was exhaled.
Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.
A person with a "low" (or slow) metabolism will burn fewer calories at rest and during activity and therefore has to eat less to avoid becoming overweight.
Metabolic rates vary between people from birth. In other words, some people are born with a faster metabolism than others. Although genetics may contribute to these differences, scientists don't agree on the extent to which they affect metabolic rate, weight gain, and obesity ( 10 , 11 ).
Metabolic rate remains stable all through adult life, from age 20 to 60 years old.
Your Metabolism Will Slow Down to Store Fat
The more you work out or manage your calorie intake to lose weight, the more your metabolism wants to compensate by slowing down to maintain your current weight, this is called metabolic compensation. It kicks in to preserve and store fat for future energy.
Weight loss
A study published in 2003 found that switching from drinking cold water to hot water could increase weight loss. Researchers found that drinking 500 ml of water before a meal increased metabolism by 30 percent. Raising water temperature to 98.6 degrees accounted for 40 percent of the increase in metabolism.
Water is the key to life, and it turns out it's also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, you'll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.
Your metabolic rate peaks in your early 20s, according to Women's Health Magazine. At this age, you tend to have a higher muscle mass and have a fair amount of physical activity built into your day. As early as age 30, however, men and women begin noticing a dip in their ability to lose weight.
A good metabolic age is your age in real life. If you're 40, your metabolic age should really be 40 too. Those that are fitter will find their metabolic age reads much younger than their chronological age.
Then, between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., our digestive functions get stronger and metabolism reaches its peak. Like nature, when the sun is highest in the sky, our body temperature is at its highest point of the day. This is when your body digests foods and burns fuel most efficiently.