What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the body’s ability to receive and use the nutrients and energy of food, measured in calories. Speaking of human metabolism, the basic, digestive, and physical subtypes are distinguished.
In total, about 80% of all calories consumed are spent on digestive and basic metabolism (for example, maintaining body temperature, renewing cells). About 20% of calories consumed is spent on physical activity.
What does metabolism depend on?
First of all, the amount of calories spent on a basic metabolism depends on gender (men need more calories than women), age (over the years, less energy is needed), and the amount of muscle tissue in the body. It is important to note that a decrease in metabolism with age is much less serious than “diet” starvation or eating once a day. The fact that with age people gain weight more easily is no more than a myth. You just need to eat right.
Strength and cardio workouts increase the cost of physical metabolism – but it accounts for less of the calories consumed. On the other hand, the more muscles, the more calories you need to maintain them.
How is metabolism disturbed?
Bad eating habits can slow down the metabolism, reduce the number of calories needed for life, and enable the mechanisms of accumulation of subcutaneous fat. A person eats very little, but the body stores all the calories in fat.
Unhealthy diet and metabolism
The most important mistakes that slow down the metabolism are fasting and eating large portions once or twice a day. When fasting, the body enters into a state of shock and minimizes energy requirements.
When you do not eat anything for half a day, then you are full, the body releases large doses of insulin into the blood to digest the glucose received. As a result, this shakes the metabolism and leads to increased deposition of excess weight.
Foods that slow down metabolism:
Caffeine and products containing it (e.g. chocolate);
Foods high in animal fats;
Dairy products (with lactose intolerance);
High carbohydrate foods;
Salty foods;
Alcohol.
Alcohol consumption and metabolic slowdown
When even small doses of alcohol are consumed, the body changes the metabolism for up to 12 hours, practically stopping the use of fat reserves for energy, burning, and dehydrating muscle tissue in return.
