Boosting your metabolism is one of the holy grails of weight loss. Theoretically, a faster metabolism burns more calories during the course of any activity, meaning that you could burn more energy and lose weight whatever you do.
Metabolic Rate
The rate at which your body can perform its functions by producing energy from the glycogen stored in your cells is known as your metabolic rate. It depends on your body's ability to transport oxygen around your bloodstream to the cells where this takes place, as well as your body's ability to process the food you take in.
Exercise Increases Metabolism
You can raise your metabolism through exercise. As your heart rate increases, so too does the speed with which your blood moves through your body, bringing oxygen to your cells faster. This can be improved with time as your heart grows stronger and more efficient. According to exercise specialist John Berardi, your body will continue working at an elevated rate after exercise, as it needs to repair damage to tissue fibers associated with exercise and exertion, a factor known as afterburn.
Weight Training
The best way to increase your metabolism is to add muscle mass, as muscle consumes more oxygen. While you can lift enough in 20 minutes to add muscle, it will take time for you to add mass and raise your metabolism. To do this, concentrate on full-body exercises such as the deadlift and the squat with heavy weights and low repetitions to get maximum benefits in less time. After a warmup, perform one of these exercises for five sets of five, beginning with a comfortable weight and moving up incrementally. Always consult a professional unless you have significant weight training experience.
Interval Training
Interval training is another way to spike your metabolism, requiring you to perform at maximal intensity for a short period of time before resting and then repeating. This allows you to sustain maximum effort for longer than you would otherwise be able. According to a study led by Dr. Izumi Tabata, a simple exercise performed at maximum intensity for 20 second intervals with 10 second rest periods, repeated for eight sets, produced an increase of 28 percent in the aerobic capacity of trained athletes in only a 4 minute workout. This leads to an enormous spike in metabolic rate and calories consumed for hours after training.
Warning
Short, intense workouts are extremely demanding on your body. If you are not used to it, you can become extremely tired and may be prone to injuring yourself. There is significant anecdotal evidence of well-trained people throwing up after interval training; conditioning coach Ross Enamait recommends that high-intensity training should not be performed on consecutive days. Be sure that you are well warmed up before engaging in strenuous physical activity. Set aside a lot longer than 20 minutes to allow for warming up, cooling down and stretching.
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