Fast metabolism - good or bad? Learn to determine your metabolism. The myth of muscles and metabolism What gives a fast metabolism

Text: Olga Lukinskaya

THE WORD "METABOLISM" IS FREQUENTLY USED TO THE PLACE AND OUT OF THE PLACE, but not everyone fully understands what metabolism is and according to what laws it functions. To understand this, we asked sports nutritionist, member of the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) Leonid Ostapenko and clinical psychologist, founder of the Eating Disorders Clinic Anna Nazarenko what you need to know about metabolism and how not to harm your body in an attempt to change it.

What is metabolism

Metabolism, or metabolism, brings together all the chemical reactions in the body. They occur continuously and include catabolism - the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for energy and "building materials" - and anabolism, that is, the creation of cells or the synthesis of hormones and enzymes. Our skin, nails and hair and all other tissues are regularly updated: for their construction and recovery after injuries (for example, for wound healing) we need “building blocks” - primarily proteins and fats - and “labor force” - energy. All this is called metabolism.

Metabolism refers to the turnover of energy required for such processes. Its costs during the main metabolism are calories that are spent on maintaining body temperature, the work of the heart, kidneys, lungs, and nervous system. By the way, with a basic metabolism of 1,300 kilocalories, 220 of them are for brain work. Metabolism can be divided into basic (or basal), which occurs constantly, including during sleep, and additional, associated with any activity other than rest. All living organisms, including plants, have a metabolism: it is believed that the fastest metabolism is in the hummingbird, and the slowest in the sloth.

What affects the metabolic rate

We often hear the expressions “slow metabolism” or “fast metabolism”: they often mean the ability to stay slim without restrictions on food and exercise, or, conversely, the tendency to easily gain weight. But the metabolic rate is reflected not only in appearance. People with a fast metabolism spend more energy on vital functions, such as the functioning of the heart and brain, at the same time than those with a slow metabolism. With equal loads, one person can have breakfast and lunch with croissants, instantly burning all the calories received, while the other will rapidly gain weight - this means that they have different basal metabolic rates. It depends on many factors, many of which cannot be influenced.

Metabolic factors that cannot be corrected are called static: these are heredity, gender, body type, age. However, there are conditions that can be influenced. Such dynamic parameters include body weight, psycho-emotional state, organization of the diet, the level of hormone production, physical activity. The exchange rate depends on the interaction of all of the above. If you correctly adjust the factors of the second group, you can speed up or slow down metabolism to some extent. The result will depend on the characteristics of genetics and the stability of the entire metabolic system.

Metabolism is practically the same as metabolism, only it sounds prettier and healthier. How to control it, optimize it, how to speed up metabolism for weight loss - we answer everything in one article.

Oleg "Orange" Bocharov

What is metabolism?

It is not difficult to understand what metabolism is, since parents, educators, and doctors have been introducing us to a healthy metabolism since childhood. That is, almost everything, except for the grandmother, who wants to feed you to death with pies and. In this example, a kind grandmother stimulates metabolic disorders, but it is unlikely that the grandmother will become the main source of problems. We talk about this, as well as how to speed up the metabolism for weight loss, in detail.

The Internet and the press are full of discussions about whether metabolism boosting supplements work, and if they do, how to distinguish a valuable supplement from useless expensive junk. This is the right place to honestly state that a plentiful diet and great physical activity are not only the simplest, but also the only reliable method to get the body to use energy faster. Physical exercise is the best answer to the question of how to speed up the metabolism.

How to speed up metabolism for weight loss?

Supplements and tricks, strictly speaking, are not able to speed up the metabolism, but a number of products (regular coffee, for example) can stimulate the nervous system and force the body to waste more energy. The same principle of action in fat burners.

Imagine three types of metabolism: basic, digestive and active. The basic and digestive are responsible for the vital activity of the body: the assimilation of food, thinking, vision, blood circulation, heat exchange, growth, regeneration, and so on - about 80% of all energy entering the body is spent on them! Active metabolism (that is, the energy of physical activity) takes only 20%.

All this time, two metabolic processes are going on in your body: catabolism and anabolism.

Catabolism is the destruction and disassembly of elements that enter the body. For example, the breakdown of protein into amino acids that come with food. This reaction is accompanied by the release of energy, the same calories and kilocalories that supporters of a healthy lifestyle meticulously count.

Anabolism is the reverse process of synthesis to catabolism. It is necessary when it is required to take already split amino acids and make material from them for building muscles. Human growth, wound healing is all the result of anabolism.

Therefore, from a mathematical point of view, body gain (muscle, fat, and everything else) is the difference between catabolism and anabolism. All the energy that you do not have time to waste will go primarily to fat and some little things to other nooks and crannies of the body, whether it be muscles or the liver.

Boosting your metabolism is a serious step in losing weight, but many do it wrong. For example, they sharply increase physical activity, while at the same time sharply limiting the diet. After all, the body will receive few calories, the metabolism will slow down and the fat will not go anywhere, it can even be actively deposited on the stomach and in the belt area.

Such a strategy will also upset the hormonal balance: a person will begin to experience hunger, stress, drowsiness, a decline in mood and sexual desire. We do not need such an accelerated metabolism!

How to disperse the metabolism with the mind and without bad consequences?

Strength training and sports, coupled with increased nutrition, will not only make you strong, but also disperse the once slow metabolism. Curiously, the calories received by the sports body will be more actively spent not only on the sport itself, but also on all other functions of your body, including food and basic metabolism! That is, the more active and voracious machine you become, the more your metabolism will be accelerated.

The body will also change the way simple carbs are digested, so simple carbs will go to the muscles first. But the fat layers will begin to starve and gradually dissolve.

From the foregoing, it is easy to conclude: an accelerated metabolism in itself is not a value - it is a tool that is beautiful only in combination with regular physical and sports activities.

If your life does not devote much time to physical sports, if a warm computer mouse and an easy car seat overshadow other values, forget about how to improve your metabolism. A sedentary person is forced in the old fashioned way - diets and only diets.

Innate good and bad metabolism

When dealing with the question of how to improve metabolism, people are constantly faced with the phenomenon of innate good and innate bad metabolism. In any company there is a person who eats a cake and a pork knuckle in one sitting, but at the same time remains skinny as a pole. Everyone is whispering about him with envy - they say, he received a good metabolism from his parents. But his colleague, a skier and a fan of diets, instantly grows a belly from one raw carrot. He is unhappy and a victim of a bad metabolism.

Scientific studies have shown that a slow metabolism occurs in a number of rare diseases accompanied by a hormonal disorder. First of all, doctors recall hypothyroidism - a condition of lack of thyroid hormones.

As for skinny people, we need to take a closer look at them: although many of them are not athletes, they are extremely mobile, “overclocked” people, and besides, they are picky about their diet and nutrition schedule, even if subconsciously. Thin people are often thin simply because they are used to being skinny from early childhood and instinctively keep themselves in the usual shape. Perhaps they still have strong nerves, calm work and good sleep, because they do not have excessive appetite due to nervousness.

Both psychologists and physiologists claim that in most cases what we consider to be innate accelerated metabolism and thinness is the result of upbringing, not genetics. Well, psychologically, we do not always perceive such people correctly: it seems to us that they eat something all the time, although in fact they practice healthy fractional nutrition, and this gives rise to the illusion of a glutton in those around them.

From the main law formulated at the beginning of the article (mass gain is catabolism minus anabolism), even they cannot hide.

Metabolic disease

Hormonal failures, malnutrition and a clip of diseases lead to metabolic disorders. Most often, this is expressed in the appearance of excess subcutaneous fat due to failures in the fat processing cycle. But this is a purely external effect, while even less pleasant processes take place inside, such as an increase in cholesterol levels, cardiovascular anomalies, etc. Edema, unhealthy skin color, diseased hair - all of the above is a consequence of a metabolic disorder.

The good news is that in most cases you can get rid of all this with a diet. But to make sure you don't need medical attention, what should you do? That's right, turn to this medical help!

The metabolism, or as it is also called metabolism, is quite simple to speed up, but this will require willpower and a little time. The acceleration of metabolism by this method leads to weight loss and an overall improvement in the condition of the body.

Clinical picture

What Doctors Say About Weight Loss

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Ryzhenkova S.A.:

I have been dealing with weight loss issues for many years. Women often come to me with tears in their eyes, who have tried everything, but either there is no result, or the weight is constantly returning. I used to advise them to calm down, go back on a diet and do grueling workouts in the gym. Today there is a better way out - X-Slim. You can simply take it as a nutritional supplement and lose up to 15 kg per month in a completely natural way without diets and physical. loads. This is a completely natural remedy that is suitable for everyone, regardless of gender, age or health condition. At the moment, the Ministry of Health is conducting a campaign "Let's save the people of Russia from obesity" and each resident of the Russian Federation and the CIS can receive 1 package of the drug IS FREE

Learn more>>

Man, like any living system, is unique. In this article, we are interested in its biochemical uniqueness, because metabolism is a biochemical process. This means that his body is built from unique chemical compounds that are unique to him as a biological species. Of course, it contains substances the same as in other representatives of the animal kingdom, but as for proteins, they are unique.

Suppose you ate a chicken fillet - a valuable protein product that is broken down in the body into its constituent parts, kind of bricks. From these links, a new specific protein is assembled, which is no longer characteristic of a chicken, but of a person. This particular process is made up of many reactions.

The same thing happens with any product that ended up in our digestive tract. In total, there are hundreds of thousands of such interactions. All of these together make up metabolism or metabolism. It provides us with energy, builds tissues, and happens continuously even when we are dreaming.

Metabolism consists of two stages:

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1. Catabolism is a set of reactions that break down complex molecules into simple ones. Accompanied by the release of energy, which is spent on manifestations of vital activity: cell division, muscle activity, digestion of food, etc.
2. Anabolism is a process opposite to catabolism, which consists in the fact that complex compounds specific to humans are formed from metabolic products. This is also a lot of biochemical processes, but for their passage the body expends energy, the same one that was released during catabolism.

In other words, these two processes are interconnected, complement each other and have a common name - metabolism.

The speed of these exchange steps depends on various factors:

• age;
• gender;
• health conditions;
• individual characteristics of each person;
• degree of obesity.

A fast metabolism can turn into a serious problem. Because of it, a person is unable to bring his weight back to normal, and this causes psychological trauma: excessive thinness does not make a person too beautiful. The body does not receive enough useful trace elements and vitamins, which significantly weakens the immune system. The main thing is to find a source of accelerated metabolism. The doctor will help you figure this out, and he will prescribe the right treatment.

General concept

Metabolism is the biochemical process by which food is converted into energy. There are two types of metabolic reactions:

• Catabolism - breaks down molecules and releases energy.
• Anabolism - creates large molecules from small ones.

The basis of these processes is nutrition. The body receives energy from the breakdown of food. It is spent on the synthesis of acids, protein and other elements.

For the good work of the process, not only the daily meal is of great importance. It must be balanced, its composition must be rich in calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, iron and other elements.

An accelerated metabolism makes it difficult to gain and maintain normal weight, to absorb all the necessary components and vitamins. This provokes a lack of enzymes and inhibits vital processes in the body. A person with a similar problem feels weak, has a weak immune system and low resistance to seasonal diseases.

Reasons for a fast metabolism

An increased metabolism equally with a slow one harms the human body. If a fast metabolism is detected, measures should be taken to help normalize it.

When a person fails to gain and maintain the required amount of subcutaneous fat, he develops painful thinness. Such a condition brings not only an unpleasant appearance, but is also the cause of various diseases. Excessively thin people have strong nervousness and irritability - this is caused by an active release of adrenaline into the blood.

Typically, the causes of this metabolism are the following factors:

• heredity;
• improper functioning of the thyroid gland;
• prolonged stress;
• abuse of nicotine.

Signs of a Fast Metabolism

The main thing is to understand that one or two signs do not yet indicate the presence of a fast metabolism. But if many of them are present at the same time, this is a reason to think that the metabolism is actually enhanced.

It is worth paying attention to:

• high heart rate;
• short sleep time;
• increased appetite;
• lean physique;
• high motor activity and energy;
• stool at least two to three times a day;
• trembling of the upper limbs.

With absolute accuracy, it will be possible to know the metabolic rate only with the help of special studies, such as:

• determination of the amount of heat emitted by a person per unit of time;
• the amount of oxygen consumed.

Ways to slow down your metabolism

People with fast metabolisms tend to be noticeably underweight and may need to slow down their metabolism. Official medicine offers the following methods:

• First you need to change the mode of night sleep and reduce its amount to 6 hours. Lack of sleep will lead to an increase in the level of the hormone cortisol (it can affect the metabolic rate).
• It is worth postponing breakfast time for an hour after waking up. This will contribute to the production of the stress hormone, which slows down the metabolism and allows the accumulation of nutrients.
• Physical activity and activity should not be completely removed, but they should be significantly reduced. You just need to eliminate those exercises that affect weight loss.

To gain weight, sometimes they use various medications or adjust the diet, follow the recommendations of a nutritionist.

The natural way to slow down metabolism is aging, which directly affects metabolism. With age, it slows down on its own.

Food

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to significantly increase the calorie content of food. It is worth eating more pastries, sweets, pasta and butter.

It is impossible to completely refuse dairy products, despite the fact that they speed up metabolism, because then the body will be left without a calcium supplier. It is also better to add more protein foods to the diet, give up spices, citrus fruits and whole grains - they all speed up the metabolism.

You should not eat very often, but the portions should be large. In this case, the body goes into economy mode (spends less calories received).

Those who love coffee will be forced to stay without it, because it helps to speed up the metabolism.

Alcohol also has unique properties. It helps to gain weight, under its influence the metabolism works more slowly. But there is no need to go to such a radical measure. Regular drinking in large quantities leads to the formation of other chronic diseases, and weight gain is not worth it.

It is better to use other products as an aid, with the help of which the metabolism will slow down. It can be tomatoes, potatoes, melon, eggplant, nuts, apricots, meat broth, chicken meat.

Rigid diets

The amount of calories received does not always affect the metabolic process. Some people prefer strict diets, but do not get the desired result. The necessary substances do not enter the human body in sufficient volume, and the state of the immune system worsens. Food brings the body not just calories, it gives it the substances that are required for the good functioning of various systems.

In this case, little fat is burned, because the body regards the situation as hunger. He begins to save himself and slows down the metabolic process, which helps to increase body weight.

Weight gain drugs

If it is not possible to slow down the metabolism by adjusting the diet and diet, then you can influence it with special drugs. They belong to the group of antimetabolites - substances that inhibit the mechanism of metabolism. They are based on substances similar to vitamins and hormones, mediators and substrates of various enzymes.

To reduce the rate of the metabolic process, it is recommended to use tableted yeast and protein.. Among such funds, Apilak is distinguished. It promotes a rapid set of muscle mass.

Before you start taking any drug aimed at stabilizing metabolism or gaining muscle mass, you should consult a specialist and find out about possible side effects. For women, this threatens to disrupt the menstrual cycle (you should be especially careful during pregnancy, in which case you should not take such drugs, as this can harm the child). In men, such drugs can affect potency, so it is important to read the instructions.

Symptoms of slow metabolism

These symptoms are the same in different sexes, there is no significant difference. If a decrease in metabolism is expected, attention should be paid to:

• a constant amount of excess weight even with physical activity;
• pain in the abdomen;
• lowering the temperature;
• feeling tired;
• allergic reactions;
• chills;
• laziness;
• colds;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• depression
• sleep problems;
• irritability;
• frequent dizziness;
• poor condition of hair and bones;
• impotence;
• decreased libido.

In some cases, slow metabolism is determined by persistent dryness in the mouth.

A sign of a disturbed and slow metabolism of the process is stoop. But it manifests itself very rarely and to a greater extent - in men.

To achieve a normal metabolism, you need to seek help from a doctor who will help you accurately determine the cause of its violation and prescribe treatment.

In modern dietology and in articles by popular fitness trainers, the word “metabolism” is often the key concept. What does it mean to “speed up metabolism”, “start metabolism”, do we understand these phrases correctly?

The metabolic processes in our body depend on many factors, and if we take into account at least some of them, we can cope with the task of maintaining a slim figure for many years.

Let's try to figure out what exactly affects our metabolism, how you can speed it up and what should be avoided so that the metabolism does not slow down.

What is metabolism?

If you do not go into complex medical terminology, then metabolism (or metabolism)- this is the speed and efficiency with which our body processes the food we eat and turns it into energy.

Any food eaten becomes a source for our body energy, and it depends only on us what exactly we will use as this source. If you consume too many calories, then their excess will quickly be deposited as fat deposits on your body. On the contrary, it will satisfy the body's energy needs and help in the proper functioning of all systems.

However, this does not always happen according to the described scheme, since some people are haunted by such a problem as slow metabolism. It is these people who claim that they can get better just from the smell of a bun, not to mention eating it.

Metabolism is a continuous process in the human body, and it proceeds in two stages: catabolism and anabolism. Under catabolism is understood as the decomposition of complex substances in the body into simpler ones, then the body uses these simple substances for its own purposes. Under anabolism refers to the construction of new tissues in the body, for example, the restoration and growth of muscle tissue.

Let's try to figure out what the metabolic rate depends on, and what factors affect its slowdown or acceleration.

What affects metabolism (VIDEO)

There are several factors, due to the influence of which you may increase or decrease metabolic rate. If you know about them, you can easily control your weight and avoid gaining extra pounds. This knowledge will also be useful to those who want to lose weight, as it will help them reconsider their habits and nutrition.

1. The presence of muscles. The main factor influencing metabolism is the presence of muscles. Nothing else (age, genetics, nutritional habits) affects metabolism like your muscles. For example, 1 kilogram of muscle tissue can burn up to 200 kilocalories per day, while the same amount of adipose tissue will burn no more than 50 kilocalories.
2. 
   Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more intensively your body will work to burn excess calories. In addition, muscles provide calorie burning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
3. The number and frequency of meals. It has been proven that long breaks between meals have a detrimental effect on metabolism, as the body begins to store energy and save it in case of hunger. Nutritionists recommend fractional meals in small portions 5-6 times a day, and the interval between meals should not be more than 3 hours.
4. Choice of products. What you eat also directly affects your metabolism. Often, girls, wanting to lose weight, exclude fats, both vegetable and animal, from their diet, thinking that this way they will quickly get rid of excess weight. However, a low-fat diet inevitably leads the body to slow down the production of hormones, as a result of which the metabolism also slows down.
5. Drinking mode. To speed up the metabolism, it is necessary to drink a sufficient amount of plain water - it should not be juices, not green tea, not compotes, but water. As you know, our body is 70% water and it is very important that water is supplied in the right amount. On average, this is 2-3 liters per day.
   
6. Genetics. Genetics determines the predisposition to a certain type of metabolism, but it can and should be corrected using the above methods.
7. Stress. Stressful situations and experiences can significantly slow down the metabolism.
8. Age. There is an opinion that metabolism slows down with age, but this process is not even associated with age, but with the changes taking place in our body. As a rule, with age, a person stops training or reduces their number, therefore, the percentage of muscles in the body decreases.
9. Diets. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but strict and hungry severely disrupt the metabolism, forcing the body to use the muscles as an energy source. Therefore, to stop eating is not an option! In this way, it is impossible to gain a toned figure without causing damage to health and the metabolic system. If you decide to adjust your menu, then start by learning the basics of proper nutrition, and the result will not be long in coming!
10. Diseases. Various diseases and hormonal abnormalities can also affect the metabolic rate.
11. Floor. Metabolism patterns in men and women are slightly different.

Metabolic Rate Test

There is a way to find out how many calories do you need to consume per day to maintain basal metabolism. To do this, you need to make a simple calculation using the formula:

Man: (66 + (13.7 * weight) + (5 * height) - (6.8 * age)) * 1.2

Woman: (655 + (9.6 * weight) + (1.8 * height) - (4.7 * age)) * 1.2

The resulting figure is basic metabolism. If you consume less than the indicated amount per day, your metabolism will slow down, as the body will begin to conserve energy, believing that times of hunger have come and you need to put something in reserve.

Proven Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

What should be done if you want to lose weight and think that you have a slow metabolism?

There are several proven ways that will surely help you achieve your intended goal.

1. Drink a glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach warm or room temperature. Thanks to this, metabolic processes in the body will start as quickly as possible.
2. Never skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can boost your metabolism by up to 30%!
3. Eat small. Eat 5-6 meals a day and in no case take long breaks between meals.
4. Drink more plain water. It not only helps cleanse the body and moisturize the skin, but also speeds up metabolism.
5. Drink coffee. If there are no contraindications, then 1-2 cups of natural (!) Ground per day will help stimulate metabolic processes in your body.
6. Drink green tea. It also helps speed up the metabolism. In addition, thanks to green tea, the body can cope with a large number of calories.
7. Eat omega-3 fatty acids. They will help to put in order all body systems, including metabolic processes. You can find them in special nutritional supplements, in linseed and olive oils, in fish oils and walnuts. Even with the most low-fat diet, you must definitely eat these foods.
   
8. Don't forget fruit. If you want something sweet - give preference. In addition to the wonderful taste, you will get a supply of healthy fruit acids. Lemon and grapefruit are especially recommended for weight loss.
9. Add red pepper. This seasoning contains capsaicin, a substance that significantly speeds up the metabolism.
10. Eat ginger. Ginger tea is an excellent remedy, useful both for immunity and for the normalization of metabolism.
11. Sign up for a massage. Professional massage sessions will not only tidy up your skin and give you vigor, but also have a beneficial effect on all metabolic processes in the body.
12. Don't forget about deep breathing. Saturation of the body with oxygen accelerates metabolism by almost 30%.
13. Eat proteins. Protein nutrition helps build your muscles. Protein is the most important substance that makes up the cells of our body. Therefore, a lack of protein can lead to disruption of various body systems.
    
14. Rest and sleep. Sufficient sleep is an indispensable condition under which the work of the metabolic system is adjusted. In accordance with human biorhythms, you should go to bed no later than 23-00.
15. Take a contrast shower. It will not only speed up your metabolism, but also give you health and longevity.
16. Go in for sports. The last, but most important point of the listed ways to maintain metabolism in the right tone. It is a sedentary lifestyle that is the main enemy of your harmony. The more muscles you have, the more active you are, the more your metabolism accelerates.

Products that speed up the metabolism

We list the main products, which you should introduce into your family's weekly diet if you do not want to have metabolic problems. We have already mentioned some of them.

• Green tea
• Dairy products
• Citrus
• Whole grain products
• Lean meat (chicken breast, turkey, rabbit) and fish (salmon, tuna, sardine)
• in moderation
• Flaxseed oil - a teaspoon on an empty stomach
• Ginger
• Legumes
• Vegetables (tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, celery)
• Oatmeal