What is Metabolism and How to Boost it

Originally, metabolism is synonym to ‘metabolic rate’ that refers to number of calories burnt in maintaining body functions and fueling external activities by the body. But in practice, it is much more than that. It encompasses ‘catabolism’ and ‘anabolism’. Catabolism is breaking down of food into proteins, fats and carbohydrates to fuel body’s needs, and anabolism represents chemical and physical reactions in the body’s tissues for using proteins in muscle building. Excessive catabolism or breakdown of food into proteins, fats and carbohydrates more than the body can make use of busts metabolism. It is said to be building when body’s caloric burn is boosted encouraging use of fats as source of fuel after available proteins and carbohydrates get exhausted.

Thus, catabolism is supply channel while anabolism represents the demand channel of the body for proteins, carbohydrates and fats. To remain healthy, body needs balancing between these supply and demand channels. But an imbalance favoring anabolism to catabolism is a choice better than the converse.  .

These isms are required to build strength and stamina in the body and to immune it against aging and diseases. Since, whole of body functions are inter-related in multiple ways, one metabolic function influences all others.

Nutrition, physical activities and lifestyle factors such as work to rest ratio affect body’s metabolism positively and negatively. So, you have choices of these three factors to build or bust your metabolism.

Metabolism Building and Busting

1. Nutrition

Nutritional considerations of body are the most important to be healthy. Firstly, it is just the food for disease-free survival of the body and nothing more than that. There are many important considerations in this respect –

·         Balance : Balancing a diet in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals through intake of well-cooked - preferably wholesome – cereals, mixture of legumes, small amounts of fatty oils, seasonal vegetables and fruits, and some chosen spices is desirable every time and every day.

·         Water : Dehydration of body is the most dangerous to metabolism which is prevented by intake of 1.5 to 2 liters of water for an average person with moderate activities. Water helps drainage of sludge from the body but more of it promotes drainage of useful minerals also. On an average, a cup of water is required by the body for every 15 minutes of an intense physical activity. Caffeine intake through tea and coffee, which are also needed particularly above 40 in moderate amounts, increases this requirement.

·         Sugars : Sugar is a refined carbohydrate and is not needed by the body at all. It is naturally supplied to the body through fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Apart from this, the body coverts many foods to sugar very quickly during normal digestion process. Intake of additional sugar leads to conditions of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Its intake is recommended only with tea, coffee, etc. for quick replenishment of energy in case the body gets tired of vigorous activities..

·         Timing : Some nutrition specialists recommend grazing rather than meals at intervals which is highly disputed by others on the ground that human body digests food in batches and recommend a gap of minimum 4 hours between two consecutive meals. The author is of the second opinion.

·         Ratio of Meals : Human body is required to be fed with three principal meals a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner, apart from in-between snacks and beverages. The three principal meals must be in ratio of 3 : 2 : 1 respectively, for proper digestion and utilization of food by the body.  

2. Activity and Rest

Every part of body needs to be vigorously active either through some productive work or through some exercises, and after vigorous activity the body needs to take rest. This will make building sleek muscles in the body, which then make the body more energy efficient.

Here, it is particularly noteworthy that growth-producing and strength-enhancing changes that the activity stimulates occur during rest, not during exercise itself. Sleep is the best exercise for its recovery effect on both body and mind.

Sound sleep of 8 hours a day is highly recommended for an average adult which may be reduced to 6 hours a day with aged having lesser physical activities. A lack of sleep leads to impaired carbohydrate metabolism, depressed thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone) concentrations, higher cortisol (a catabolic stress hormone) and a nervous-system response resembling that seen under stress. Dreaming in sleep has no adverse affects on body as this only indicates that brain has already got it full quota of rest.

Western and prosperous people suffer from over-nutrition because of their dependence of packaged and fast foods, for them daily exercises are a must. Both these things are wastages and work against each other compensating the losses inflicted to body by each other, so it is no wisdom. Better alternative is to take fresh and simple foods and utilize the energy so produced in productive activities. No superfluous exercise is necessary for a productive person.   

3. Aging

Nobody can stop time and its impact on human body. It is a natural buster of metabolism. Even healthy seniors start losing muscle mass at a rate of 3 to 6 percent every decade after the age of 60 without any adverse impacts on the person’s healthy survival. Many metabolism-affecting hormonal activities decrease with age including growth hormone, the adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and, of course, estrogen and testosterone.

Proper nutrition, activities and rest can only slow down impacts of aging. Death is inevitable and nothing can be done about it. It is life which can be tackled properly for health and happiness.

4. Stress

Stresses are generated due to emotional, physical, environmental and hormonal reasons and they all have similar effect on metabolism in the long run indicating that our body is indifferent to the source of a stress. A stress is perceived at two levels – body and brain.

When the brain perceives a treat, it initiates fight or flight response releasing stress hormones andranaline and cortisol. A continued or frequent occurrence of these hormones depress metabolism and curtail vitality.

When the body perceives that it is under attack, it shuts down metabolism building functions of digestion and muscle building. As a safety measure, it starts storing fat for future uses. Decays in bones and muscles are resulted. An oncoming feeling of laziness reduces activities and becomes a cause of overeating resulting in more of fat storage in the body. Sleep pattern gets disturbed adding more to worries. 

A Warning

But in case of malnutrition from which majority of humanity in developing and under-developed world suffers has to be cured before taking up any exercises to boost body’s metabolism.

Further, keep in mind that many diseases, including thyroid disorders and diabetes, can interfere with metabolic processes. Talk to your doctor about ruling out such medical conditions if you suspect you might be affected by one, and do not significantly alter your exercise or nutrition program without consulting a health professional.

Build-up Yourself
Once, metabolism building is initiated, your body becomes getting more healthy and efficient making it easier to maintain the pace of building-up. It works like an inspiration from within.