How is it that some people eat for three and don’t get fat, while others gain weight just by smelling chocolate? It depends mainly on your metabolism, muscle mass and physical activity. Metabolism is the process by which our body converts what we have eaten into the energy we need to survive and function. Many facts and myths have been created about it and in today’s article I will try to present some of them.
Learn some facts …
- FACT – short, intense exercises speed up metabolism.
During a long, steady effort, such as running or cycling at the same pace, your body needs less oxygen than during short but high-intensity interval training, such as tabata or HIIT, which alternates very high-intensity exercise with moderate-intensity exercise. The body uses more oxygen during interval training, the metabolism works at increased speed, which means that you burn more calories not only during training, but also up to several hours after its end (the so-called resting burn)!
- FACT – lack of adequate sleep slows down metabolism.
There is no evidence that sleeping longer speeds up metabolism, but there is evidence that not getting enough sleep slows it down. Lack of sleep has an impact on our appetite – the body has not rested properly, so it tries to gain energy to function in a different way. That is why we are hungry and crave unhealthy snacks and sweets. In addition, we generally have less energy, so the body slows down in order to keep as much fat and calories as possible “in reserve”.
Learn a few myths …
- MYTH – slim people have a faster metabolism than obese people.
There is a theory that slim people have a slower resting metabolic rate, because there are simply “fewer of them”, they do not have much body fat to burn during rest. Therefore, obese people have a faster resting metabolic rate because they have more to burn.
However, it is not only weight that affects the rate of combustion of matter. Muscles also have an impact on the number of calories burned during the day. When comparing two people of similar weight, the one with more muscle mass will have a faster metabolism. This is one of the reasons why you should implement strength exercises into your plan, not just cardio. With more muscle mass, metabolism is faster.
- MYTH – skipping meals slows down metabolism.
Anyone who has tried to lose weight has certainly heard and followed the rule of eating five small meals a day. It turns out that eating often, and little, does not speed up metabolism at all. In fact, the frequency of meals has little to do with the metabolic rate. This theory was created mainly for people who have problems with controlling their appetite and hunger pangs. Eating 5 meals at designated times meant that their stomach was regularly filled and they did not experience hunger pangs or overeating.
However, for a person who does not have a problem with this, their overall calorie content and quality are more important than the frequency of meals. It doesn’t matter if you eat two bags of rice at once or spread it over several meals, the effect will be the same. You should focus more on the quality of the products.
- MYTH – eating at night makes you fat.
“Avoid eating at night” – this is one of the most common feeding tips. It may seem that our internal clock is programmed to put away everything we eat for the night, but this is not always the case. There are many factors that affect fat storage in the body, such as hormones, energy expenditure, food quality and type. Avoiding eating at night is not enough to avoid accumulating fat in the body.
In fact, it doesn’t matter if you eat a meal in the evening or at night, as long as it’s healthy food (and not, for example, ice cream or pizza). What’s more, if you train in the evening, it is very important to eat a wholesome meal after training, which will support the regeneration process and muscle building. In this case, you should not skip eating, but provide your body with the necessary ingredients, regardless of the time.
- MYTH – you have no control over your metabolism.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Of course, the easiest way to blame it is on metabolism, but with a little effort it can be accelerated! As I mentioned before, body composition has an impact on metabolism, so it is worth increasing your muscle mass through strength training. Intense interval training will also help. In addition to training, it is worth developing certain eating habits, such as drinking green tea, coffee (in reasonable amounts, of course, not 5 cups a day), drinking plenty of water, which will help speed up metabolism. Of course, don’t forget to rest and get enough sleep!