Metabolism is a term for the sum of chemical reactions taking place in your body. As such, your metabolism includes all the reactions whereby your cells break down nutrient molecules for energy and all the reactions whereby your cells build various molecular products. The faster your metabolism, the more energy you'll burn. If you're looking to lose weight and burn more calories, one route is to increase your metabolism. There are several ways to accomplish this.
Stimulants
There are a number of stimulant compounds that increase your metabolic rate. Some of these are relatively safe, while others aren't safe. In the 1990s, many popular diet pills incorporated ephedrine, which is a sympathomimetic--meaning stimulant--agent. Ephedrine increases metabolism through a mechanism similar to that of adrenaline, which increases heart rate, muscle contractility and cellular energy use. Because ephedrine had the potential to cause damage to the heart and other organs, it was subsequently removed from the marketplace. Other stimulants are safer, however, and have similar effects--though not to the same extent. In a 1995 article in the "American Journal of Physiological Endocrinology and Metabolism," authors note that caffeine increases metabolism temporarily, leading to increased energy use by the body.
Exercise
When you exercise, you force your heart and muscles to work harder. This causes a small amount of tissue damage and also signals the body to build more muscle. Both of these lead to an increase in metabolic rate, because fixing tissue damage requires the use of energy, and building muscle--like building other components of the body--requires energy. In a 1993 article in the "American Journal of Physiological Endocrinology and Metabolism," researchers note that exercise temporarily increases metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after a single exercise session.
Muscle Mass
One of the more permanent ways to increase metabolic rate is to increase your muscle mass. A 2008 article in the scholarly journal "Essays in Biochemistry" notes that because muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue--by a factor of about 15--the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn. As such, any activity that increases your overall muscle mass will have an upregulating effect upon your metabolic rate.
References
- "American Journal of Physiological Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Effects of caffeine on energy metabolism, heart rate, and methylxanthine metabolism in lean and obese women; D. Bracco et al; 1995
- "American Journal of Physiological Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Regulation of endogenous fat and carbohydrate metabolism in relation to exercise intensity and duration; J. Romijn et al; 1993
- "Essays in Biochemistry"; Improving muscle mass: response of muscle metabolism to exercise, nutrition and anabolic agents; K. Tipton et al; 2008
Member Comments