Your metabolism is a popular topic. It usually comes up in the context of weight, but it’s actually about something broader: the whole set of processes through which your body converts food into energy. In this article, we’ll explain in simple terms what your metabolism is, which factors determine its rate, and what you can do about it yourself. We’ll list seven factors. Because the idea that you can significantly support your metabolism is, in practice, greatly exaggerated.
What exactly is your metabolism?
Your metabolism is the set of processes through which your body converts food into energy. This process is active day and night, even when you’re asleep or sitting still.
By far the largest proportion of that energy is used whilst at rest: your breathing, your heart rate, your body temperature and cell repair all require a constant supply of energy. We call this your resting metabolic rate. On top of that comes the energy you expend through physical activity and digesting food. Together, these three components determine how much energy you use in a day.
Which factors are fixed?
A large part of your metabolism is fixed. Your genes, your age and your gender together determine a significant proportion of the rate, and you have little control over this.
- Genetic predisposition. Some people naturally burn slightly more energy than others, partly due to their genetic makeup.
- Age. As you get older, your metabolism generally slows down slightly, partly because your muscle mass decreases.
- Gender and body composition. On average, men have more muscle mass than women and therefore burn slightly more energy at rest.
These are the first three of our seven factors. You can, however, influence the next four yourself.
Why is muscle mass important for your metabolism?
Muscle mass is the factor you have the most control over. Muscle tissue burns more energy at rest than fat tissue, so more muscle mass means a slightly higher resting metabolic rate.
Strength training is the most direct way to build and maintain muscle mass. Even after a vigorous workout, your body continues to use energy, partly for building and maintaining muscle tissue. If you want to build or maintain muscle mass, protein plays a key role. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Read more in ‘Why whey protein and what does it do?’.
What role does protein play?
Protein plays a role in two ways. It is the building block for your muscles, and it takes your body a relatively large amount of energy to process.
Of the three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat), protein requires the most energy for your body to digest and process. This is known as the thermic effect of food. It’s a modest effect, so don’t see it as a shortcut, but rather as one of the reasons to eat enough protein. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Together with protein’s role in your muscles, this makes protein a sensible part of your daily diet.
Exactly how much protein you need depends on your weight and your activity levels. Work out how much protein you need per day, or read more about the benefits of protein powder. Good sources of protein include eggs, fish, pulses, quark, tofu, chicken and nuts.
Does being more active throughout the day help?
Yes. The more you move during the day, the more energy you burn, even outside of specific exercise sessions. All those little movements add up.
Think of taking the stairs instead of the lift, cycling to work, or parking your car a bit further away. For many people, this daily activity (sometimes called NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis) accounts for a larger proportion of their energy expenditure than going to the gym itself. Targeted strength training remains valuable, however, precisely because of the role of muscle mass.
Does sleep affect your metabolism?
Sleep indirectly affects your metabolism. Chronic sleep deprivation can throw your energy balance and appetite off track, and you often have less energy during the day to be active.
Less physical activity means lower energy expenditure, and disrupted sleep makes it harder to stick to healthy choices. Adequate and regular sleep is therefore a fundamental, yet often underestimated, factor. For most adults, seven to nine hours is a common guideline.
Frequently asked questions about your metabolism
Can you really speed up your metabolism?
Not drastically. The main factors (your genes, your age and your gender) are fixed. What you can do, however, is support your metabolism by building muscle mass, getting enough exercise, eating enough protein and sleeping well. Don’t expect dramatic results from one-off tricks.
Does cold water or green tea help with a slow metabolism?
The effects are minor and short-lived, and certainly no substitute for the basics mentioned above. Staying properly hydrated is, however, important for your overall well-being. Read more about this in ‘Drinking enough water: 5 reasons why’.
Which nutrients play a role in your energy metabolism?
Various vitamins and minerals are involved in converting food into energy. For example, magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. You can read more about this in ‘What is magnesium and what does it do for your body?’.
Does your metabolism change as you get older?
Yes, generally speaking, your metabolism slows down slightly as you get older, partly because your muscle mass decreases. That’s precisely why it helps to continue focusing on strength training and getting enough protein as you get older, so that your muscle mass remains at a healthy level.
Gentle support, not pushing too hard
You mainly regulate your metabolism through the basics: getting enough exercise, enough sleep and enough protein every day. Supplements are there to complement this, not as a shortcut. If you’re struggling to get enough protein on a particular day, a protein powder can help top it up – for example, from our protein range featuring whey protein and vegan options. And magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, so if you want to increase your intake, you’ll find an option in our magnesium range.
