Metabolism is the process in which food and drink we consume are converted into a source of energy for us to use. At what rate, is and can be substantially diverse, depending on an individual.

A person’s metabolism can speed up, slow down, work at different frequencies, and will generally ‘work’ inversely from person to person, depending on many factors. Genetics, lifestyle, background are just a few components as to what determines how effective our metabolism is, and dictates its development over time.

Our bodies can adapt to different types of foods, diets, consumption amount/s, time eating etc. However, this adaption can sometimes negatively and positively impact the metabolisms effectiveness, again depending on an individual.

Studies have shown, as we age, our metabolism generally will slow down. Specifically, it has been found to slow by 10 percent each year, after the age of 20 is reached (this is on average and may not account for everyone). Some people are lucky enough to continue their same metabolic rate through to their mid 20’s, though this isn’t regularly seen.

Nevertheless, we can train the body to metabolise at a more effective rate over time and in a series of ways. This could use the ‘time restricted eating’ or ‘intermittent fasting’ methods just to name a few commonly known techniques. What these techniques do is restrict the period of time the metabolism has to work for, therefore making it work more effectively when you are consuming your food/drink!

There are plenty of myths surrounding metabolism and ways to ‘speed it up’. I personally don’t encourage this type of talk, or many of the schemes people try to sell to increase the rate at which a person’s metabolism works. As I mentioned, there are methods we can use to encourage a healthy working metabolism as well as train the metabolic rate to work more effectively.

These myths include (but are not limited too):

• Certain food consumption speeds up your metabolism
• You can take certain pills that will increase your metabolism
• Drinking certain teas will increase your metabolism
• You should eat less to jump start your metabolism
• Eating late at night slows down your metabolism

Truths (highly studied ways to encourage a healthy working metabolism as you age, as well as possibility of increasing its effectiveness):

• Enhance your strength training- studies have found the more muscle you have, the more effective your metabolism will be
• The more active you are, the more blood that will be transferred around the body in-turn encourages the metabolism to act quicker

These are short descriptions on myths and facts surrounding metabolism. There is a lot of detail that these points can go into, as well as external and internal factors that will differentiate the accuracy of them, depending on an individual.

In short, as you age your metabolism should and will slow down. The rate of which is dependent on many factors of an individual.

 

- Bec