Metabolism: “A New Year, a New You”

I hear it all the time, “But I have a slow metabolism.”  People rarely understand what “Metabolism” actually is or how it is affected. Metabolism is a combination of two processes:

Catabolism, when food is broken down into simpler components. This is accompanied by the release of energy that heats the body, enables the body to move and provides fuel for anabolism.

Anabolism, when the body uses the energy released because of catabolism to make new cells, maintain body tissues and store energy for future use.

Metabolism is the whole range of chemical reactions in your body's cells that turn the food you eat into living tissue, energy, and waste products. It is influenced by age, genetics, gender, height, hormones, stress, activity levels, diet, stimulants, ambient temperature, and lean body mass.

There are ways to maintain a healthy and balanced metabolism. Aging will dramatically affect variables as a loss of muscle mass and down regulation of hormones occurs. We can’t cease the aging process, but we can resist metabolic slow-down. Diet and exercise should be our first line of defense.

The right diet will go a long way toward our goal. Dietary considerations should include:

-Sufficient protein intake; most people require 80g to 120g of protein daily. Some people much more.

-Sufficient fat intakes including saturated fats, these fats are essential for hormonal regulation. Fats should make up 20% of total intake and in some cases more.

-Sufficient sugar intake; yes sugar! Sugars have a “pro-thyroid” effect. Sugars should be obtained primarily from fruit and even SOME sucrose (table sugar).

-Sufficient calories. Generally, calories should be distributed over a number of meals rather than one or two big meals.

The wrong diet:

-Consistently not meeting protein requirements.

-Avoiding fats can cause metabolic damage and affect sex hormones.

-A starchy carb based diet, too much bread, pasta, etc., without consideration for fats and proteins.

-Crash diets and fasting or severe calorie restriction.

Diet can and will have a profound impact on metabolic rate and hormones. In spite of this fact, some people will need to seek professional medical help for rebalancing their hormones. This subject is outside the scope of this article and should be discussed with a medical doctor.

Exercise done right may be the most controllable component when optimizing metabolic rate. Exercise done right can be summed up in two words, STRENGTH TRAINING! Exercise done wrong: excessive amounts of steady state activity at a low intensity. Programs built around depravation and long duration activity may show some return over the short term, but over the long term will only slow down metabolic rate.

Metabolism Building Strength Training:

1. Choose only 1 to 2 days per week to engage in strength training. All of the “good stuff” happens while we recover from exercise; this can take 3 to 7 days. Recovery periods may need to be even longer as we age or become more advanced in our exercise performance.

2. Choose the minimum number of exercises that produce the greatest effect. These tend to be a combination of Leg Press, Pull Down, Chest Press, Compound Row, and Overhead Press.

3. Select a load that produces muscular failure in a range of 6 to 10 repetitions done in a very “specific manner.”

4. Use the slowest speed of movement that produces the smoothest movement possible. It makes the exercise both harder and safer.

5. Train to fatigue, the point where you are incapable of producing another repetition in spite of your best efforts.

6. Breathe Free! Never hold your breath during exercise. Listen to your breath sounds, note that your breathing should increase to a rapid rate as you fatigue.

7. Focus. You should maintain a blank expressionless look on your face no matter how hard the exercise gets and NEVER move your eyes or head around the room while training. This protects the neck and improves muscular recruitment.

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