The rate of reactions in the body and its functionality depend on metabolism. This factor determines the speed of digestibility of food that a person consumes, and therefore, is directly responsible for the rate of its transition into energy and building material. Simply put, the faster the metabolism in the body occurs, the sooner a person sheds excess weight. In particular, the speed of this process is important for athletes whose goal is to progressively gain muscle mass. It should be noted that human life and health depend on a balanced and harmonious metabolic process.

We talk about metabolism as if we could control it by swallowing a pill, drinking some green tea, or running around. You probably saw the articles “Increase Metabolism” or “Try a High Metabolic Diet to Lose Weight.”

However, because of them, the truth about this important, but still mysterious biological process remains hidden.

Here are nine facts that will help you understand the essence of metabolism, as well as suggest how to talk about metabolism in the context of weight loss and weight gain.

Metabolism is inherent in every cell of your body

Many speak of their metabolism as if it were a muscle or organ that they could move and somehow control it.

But in reality, your metabolism refers to a series of chemical processes in each cell that turn absorbed calories into fuel to support your life. At least that’s what Michael Jensen, a researcher who studies obesity and metabolism at the Mayo Clinic, says. The “baseline” metabolic rate (or “resting” rate) is measured by how many calories you burn while you are not doing anything, he adds. “This is the highest point of metabolism in different tissues with different needs and how many calories are required to support their functioning.”

The main organs of the body – the brain, liver, kidneys and heart – consume about half of the energy that is burned during rest, while fat, the digestive system and especially the muscles of the body consume everything else.

Most of the energy you burn is produced by resting metabolism.

Your body burns energy daily in three main ways: 1) resting metabolism, or basic metabolism – energy is used for the basic functions of the body; 2) energy is used to digest food (thermal effect of food); and 3) energy is used for physical activity.

As we found out, one very underestimated fact about our body is that the metabolic rate at rest is actually a huge amount of all the calories you burn during the day. Physical activity, on the other hand, makes up a tiny fraction of the total energy expenditure – from 10 to 30% (unless you are a professional athlete or are not working in physically hard work). Digestion accounts for approximately 10 percent.

Metabolism can vary significantly from person to person, and researchers do not understand why

It is true that in two people with the same volume and body composition, metabolism can be very different. One can absorb plate after plate and does not add a single gram, while the second has to carefully calculate calories in order not to gain weight.

Researchers have found signs of how fast human metabolism can be. Among them: the amount of muscle and fatty tissue in the body, age and genetics (although researchers do not know why the metabolic rate may vary within the family).

Sex also matters, because women with any body composition and at any age burn less calories than men. Jensen added that for women, “the menstrual cycle also matters: some women with a higher metabolic rate during the second half of the cycle (luteal phase) increase the metabolic rate at rest by 10 percent.”

You cannot just take and accurately measure the metabolic rate at rest (there are commercially available tests, but the best measurements are made by researchers who use expensive equipment like metabolic chambers). But you can find out about your metabolism by entering some data into an online calculator (like this). He will show you how many calories you can burn in a day, and if you eat just so much and your weight remains the same, most likely the result is true.

Metabolism may slow due to diet

It is incredibly difficult to increase the metabolic rate, but, as scientists have found out, certain activities can lower it – for example, programs for drastic weight loss.

“[Extreme diets] are probably the most likely to affect resting metabolism,” Jensen says. “Unfortunately, this influence is not directed in the direction we need.”

For several years now, scientists have been observing a phenomenon called “metabolic adaptation”, or “adaptive thermogenesis”: with weight loss, the basic metabolic rate — the energy used for the body’s basic functioning at rest — decreases much more than it should.

Let us explain: it is logical that weight loss slightly slows down the metabolism, since weight loss usually also implies a decrease in muscle tissue. Thus, body weight becomes less, and the body does not need to make such efforts to work. But, as the researchers found, the slowdown in metabolism after weight loss often turns out to be much stronger than expected, which should correspond to the new human body mass.

Is it possible to lose weight from accelerating metabolism?

A lot of hype has risen around the “acceleration of metabolism” and weight loss due to enhanced exercises for building muscles, various diets or supplements. But actually it is incredibly difficult to do.

While there is certain food — coffee, chili, and other spices — that can only slightly speed up your metabolism, the changes are so slight and momentary that they would never affect your body, Jensen says.

However, building muscle can be a little more useful. Here’s why: one of the variables that affect your metabolic rate at rest is how much muscle you have. At any weight, the more muscle in your body and the less fat, the faster your metabolism. The thing is that muscles consume much more energy at rest than fat (look at the graph in the first part).

There are a lot of weight loss supplements that work due to metabolism acceleration. There is no miracle in their effect. They contain herbal extracts to increase metabolic processes. One of the most popular is Nutrivix.

Using NutirVix tablets will speed up your metabolism a little, and your body will begin to quickly get rid of adipose tissue. This altered metabolic work ensures that the lost weight does not return. The effect of NutriVix tablets on the acceleration and proper functioning of muscles will not lead to loss of muscle tissue.

NutriVix stands out from a number of diet products because they do not promise miraculous changes overnight or for several days. There is no deception, exaggeration or exaggeration. After 60-90 days of regular use of 3 capsules per day, you will see and feel the results. Numerous Nutrivix reviews show that it is safe and natural remedy for effective weight loss.

So the bottom line is that if you can develop muscle and reduce body fat, you will have a faster metabolism, and your body will burn fuel faster.

Slow metabolism does not mean that weight control is a futile exercise

“On average, 15% of people manage to lose 10% or more of their own weight and maintain it at that level,” says Rosenbaum. So, weight loss is possible.

With everyone who wants to lose weight, Rosenbaum shares that the main thing is to make changes to your lifestyle that you can adhere to over time and regard them as necessary to control the disease – obesity. (More tips from weight loss specialists can be found here.)

As an example, he cites a study by the National Weight Control Registry, which analyzes the traits, habits, and behaviors of adults who have managed to lose at least 13.5 kg and maintain their weight for at least one year. Currently, more than 10,000 people participate in this study, who annually pass a survey on how they manage to maintain weight.

Those who managed to lose weight have several common features: they are weighed at least once a week. They conduct regular training with varying degrees of intensity, and the most popular exercise among them is walking. They limit calorie intake, refrain from high-fat foods, and keep track of serving sizes. They also try not to skip breakfast.

But the components of their dishes are very different. (So ​​there is no “better” or “trendy” diet that works wonders.) And they count calories.