How To Boost Your Metabolism Naturally
If you want to boost your metabolism you can do so naturally, without taking dangerous or suspect chemicals. Your metabolism is the way your body converts food into fuel and how efficient it is at doing so. Your metabolic rate defines how quickly you burn calories and thus, how quickly you can lose weight. If you want to lose excess body fat, boosting your metabolism naturally is the best way to do it. The key is to increase your muscle mass.
Why Boost Metabolism?
You may want to boost your metabolism for several reasons. Often people want to lose a little extra weight as efficiently as possible. This decision can come about at any time, but people often make New Year's resolutions to lose weight or they might hit a milestone in their lives and want to make a change. Boosting metabolism is also of special interest to those who are already in good shape, but want to lose those last few pounds or that nagging percentage of body fat.
Benefits of a High Metabolism
There are many benefits to a high metabolism. For example, boosting metabolism burns fat. Boosting metabolism burns calories. But most importantly, an increased metabolism does all of this even when you're not exercising (1). Everyone burns calories while exercising, but people with higher metabolisms burn calories at all other times, too (1). A pound of muscle burns 35 calories every day, whereas a pound of fat burns only 2 calories (1). This lets you eat more and utilize all the calories you ingest, leading to the general loss of excess body fat without starving yourself.
Maximize Your Metabolism with Muscle
The most significant way to boost your metabolism naturally is to increase your muscle mass. As noted above, muscle burns more calories than fat, even after you're done exercising. As people age, they start to lose that muscle, so it's unsurprising that the elderly have lower metabolic rates. But to show what an impact increased muscle has, studies have found that "a heavy-resistance strength-training program increases RMR in healthy older men" (2). In that study, it increased metabolic rate by 7.7% after just 16 weeks of strength-training.
Metabolism Boost Tips: What to Eat/Take
Knowing what and when to eat, as well as what supplements to take, can provide a metabolic boost. While there is no significant difference in resting metabolic rate between morning and afternoon, the body does have increased glucose oxidation in the morning, due to its fasted state (3). Thus, it's important to eat breakfast. In general, if you want to build muscle, your body needs more protein. Fortuitously, many studies have found that protein plays an important role in making you feel full after eating. "Protein plays a key role in body weight regulation through satiety related to diet-induced thermogenesis" (4). Protein also takes more energy to digest, about 25% more (1).
You might try spicing food with red pepper (capsaicin). One study found that "red pepper increases diet-induced thermogenesis and lipid oxidation," though primarily when combined with high-fat foods (5). Another study found that "capsaicin treatment caused sustained fat oxidation during weight maintenance compared with placebo" (6). You should also take fish oil supplements. Fish oil reduces body fat and improves overall metabolic health (7).
Eat More Often
A study on snacking between meals showed that collegiate athletes who ate 3 snacks of 250 calories each in between regular meals showed better results than those who did not. The athletes who snacked had a significantly decreased body fat percentage, a significant increase in anaerobic power, and a significant increase in energy output (8). The study also showed they didn't even consume more calories per day than the control group. Instead, they ate less at their three regular meals. This study, and others like it, shows that snacking between meals is good, provided it's a healthful, nutritious snack.
Metabolism Boost Tips: What to Drink
There are several smaller tips that can help you boost your metabolism naturally like drinking green tea, coffee, and milk. Studies of green tea have found, "Average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of GTE than after ingestion of placebo…the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure was also significantly higher, by a similar percentage" (9). You should also drink coffee. The caffeine in coffee significantly increases metabolic rate for three hours after ingestion; "this is accompanied by greater oxidation of fat in normal weight subjects" (10). After exercising, drink skim milk rather than soy milk. "Milk-based proteins promote muscle protein accretion to a greater extent than do soy-based proteins when consumed after resistance exercise," which promotes the more rapid building of lean muscle mass (11). More muscle means a higher metabolism.
These tips may help you boost your metabolism naturally in the short-term. That said, the most important, long-term way to maximize your metabolism is to increase your overall muscle mass. That way your body will burn fat even while you're at rest.
To view the rest of this article for FREE, please visit http://www.leanbulk.com/articles . Other topics covered in the full article: Metabolism boost tips, what to eat, what to drink, and how frequent one should eat. http://www.LeanBulk.com Your FREE online source for nutrition, supplementation, and fitness information. Features a complete online vitamin/supplement store for all your supplementation needs.
References
1. Bouchez, Colette. "Make the Most of Your Metabolism." WebMD. 24 February 2006. http://D109/fitness-exercise/guide/make-most-your-metabolism
2. Pratley R, Nicklas B, Rubin M, Miller J, Smith A, Smith M, Hurley B, Goldberg A. "Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men." Journal of Applied Physiology. (1994) 76: 133-7.
3. Weststrate JA, Weys PJ, Poortvliet EJ, Deurenberg P, Hautvast JG. "Diurnal variation in postabsorptive resting metabolic rate and diet-induced thermogenesis." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1989) 50: 908-14.
4. Westerterp KR. "Diet induced thermogenesis." Nutrition & Metabolism. (2004) 1: 1-5.
5. Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Suzuki M, Tremblay A. "Effects of red pepper added to high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals on energy metabolism and substrate utilization in Japanese women." British Journal of Nutrition. (1998) 80: 503-510.
6. Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. "Effect of capsaicin on substrate oxidation and weight maintenance after modest body-weight loss in human subjects." British Journal of Nutrition. (2003) 90: 651-659.
7. Hill AM, Buckley JD, Murphy KJ, Howe PR. "Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2007) 85: 1267-74.
8. Benardot, D, Martin, DE, Thompson, WR, Roman, SB. "Between-meal Energy Intake Effects On Body Composition, Performance And Total Caloric Consumption In Athletes." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. (2005) 37: S339.
9. Venables MC, Hulston CJ, Cox HR, Jeukendrup AE. "Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2008) 87: 778-84.
10. Acheson KJ, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Pittet P, Anantharaman K, JĂ©quier E. "Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1980) 33: 989-97.
11. Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, Macdonald MJ, Macdonald JR, Armstrong D, Phillips SM. "Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy-protein beverage." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2007) 85: 1031-40.
Why Boost Metabolism?
You may want to boost your metabolism for several reasons. Often people want to lose a little extra weight as efficiently as possible. This decision can come about at any time, but people often make New Year's resolutions to lose weight or they might hit a milestone in their lives and want to make a change. Boosting metabolism is also of special interest to those who are already in good shape, but want to lose those last few pounds or that nagging percentage of body fat.
Benefits of a High Metabolism
There are many benefits to a high metabolism. For example, boosting metabolism burns fat. Boosting metabolism burns calories. But most importantly, an increased metabolism does all of this even when you're not exercising (1). Everyone burns calories while exercising, but people with higher metabolisms burn calories at all other times, too (1). A pound of muscle burns 35 calories every day, whereas a pound of fat burns only 2 calories (1). This lets you eat more and utilize all the calories you ingest, leading to the general loss of excess body fat without starving yourself.
Maximize Your Metabolism with Muscle
The most significant way to boost your metabolism naturally is to increase your muscle mass. As noted above, muscle burns more calories than fat, even after you're done exercising. As people age, they start to lose that muscle, so it's unsurprising that the elderly have lower metabolic rates. But to show what an impact increased muscle has, studies have found that "a heavy-resistance strength-training program increases RMR in healthy older men" (2). In that study, it increased metabolic rate by 7.7% after just 16 weeks of strength-training.
Metabolism Boost Tips: What to Eat/Take
Knowing what and when to eat, as well as what supplements to take, can provide a metabolic boost. While there is no significant difference in resting metabolic rate between morning and afternoon, the body does have increased glucose oxidation in the morning, due to its fasted state (3). Thus, it's important to eat breakfast. In general, if you want to build muscle, your body needs more protein. Fortuitously, many studies have found that protein plays an important role in making you feel full after eating. "Protein plays a key role in body weight regulation through satiety related to diet-induced thermogenesis" (4). Protein also takes more energy to digest, about 25% more (1).
You might try spicing food with red pepper (capsaicin). One study found that "red pepper increases diet-induced thermogenesis and lipid oxidation," though primarily when combined with high-fat foods (5). Another study found that "capsaicin treatment caused sustained fat oxidation during weight maintenance compared with placebo" (6). You should also take fish oil supplements. Fish oil reduces body fat and improves overall metabolic health (7).
Eat More Often
A study on snacking between meals showed that collegiate athletes who ate 3 snacks of 250 calories each in between regular meals showed better results than those who did not. The athletes who snacked had a significantly decreased body fat percentage, a significant increase in anaerobic power, and a significant increase in energy output (8). The study also showed they didn't even consume more calories per day than the control group. Instead, they ate less at their three regular meals. This study, and others like it, shows that snacking between meals is good, provided it's a healthful, nutritious snack.
Metabolism Boost Tips: What to Drink
There are several smaller tips that can help you boost your metabolism naturally like drinking green tea, coffee, and milk. Studies of green tea have found, "Average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of GTE than after ingestion of placebo…the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure was also significantly higher, by a similar percentage" (9). You should also drink coffee. The caffeine in coffee significantly increases metabolic rate for three hours after ingestion; "this is accompanied by greater oxidation of fat in normal weight subjects" (10). After exercising, drink skim milk rather than soy milk. "Milk-based proteins promote muscle protein accretion to a greater extent than do soy-based proteins when consumed after resistance exercise," which promotes the more rapid building of lean muscle mass (11). More muscle means a higher metabolism.
These tips may help you boost your metabolism naturally in the short-term. That said, the most important, long-term way to maximize your metabolism is to increase your overall muscle mass. That way your body will burn fat even while you're at rest.
To view the rest of this article for FREE, please visit http://www.leanbulk.com/articles . Other topics covered in the full article: Metabolism boost tips, what to eat, what to drink, and how frequent one should eat. http://www.LeanBulk.com Your FREE online source for nutrition, supplementation, and fitness information. Features a complete online vitamin/supplement store for all your supplementation needs.
References
1. Bouchez, Colette. "Make the Most of Your Metabolism." WebMD. 24 February 2006. http://D109/fitness-exercise/guide/make-most-your-metabolism
2. Pratley R, Nicklas B, Rubin M, Miller J, Smith A, Smith M, Hurley B, Goldberg A. "Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men." Journal of Applied Physiology. (1994) 76: 133-7.
3. Weststrate JA, Weys PJ, Poortvliet EJ, Deurenberg P, Hautvast JG. "Diurnal variation in postabsorptive resting metabolic rate and diet-induced thermogenesis." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1989) 50: 908-14.
4. Westerterp KR. "Diet induced thermogenesis." Nutrition & Metabolism. (2004) 1: 1-5.
5. Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Suzuki M, Tremblay A. "Effects of red pepper added to high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals on energy metabolism and substrate utilization in Japanese women." British Journal of Nutrition. (1998) 80: 503-510.
6. Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. "Effect of capsaicin on substrate oxidation and weight maintenance after modest body-weight loss in human subjects." British Journal of Nutrition. (2003) 90: 651-659.
7. Hill AM, Buckley JD, Murphy KJ, Howe PR. "Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2007) 85: 1267-74.
8. Benardot, D, Martin, DE, Thompson, WR, Roman, SB. "Between-meal Energy Intake Effects On Body Composition, Performance And Total Caloric Consumption In Athletes." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. (2005) 37: S339.
9. Venables MC, Hulston CJ, Cox HR, Jeukendrup AE. "Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2008) 87: 778-84.
10. Acheson KJ, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Pittet P, Anantharaman K, JĂ©quier E. "Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1980) 33: 989-97.
11. Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, Macdonald MJ, Macdonald JR, Armstrong D, Phillips SM. "Consumption of fluid skim milk promotes greater muscle protein accretion after resistance exercise than does consumption of an isonitrogenous and isoenergetic soy-protein beverage." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2007) 85: 1031-40.
Source...