Your metabolism is a result of dozens of factors, only few of which you can manually change. A large portion of your body's energy requirements are a product of your age and sex. However, you can manually boost the rate at which your body burns calories through diet and exercise. Knowing the factors that influence metabolism and how to determine your energy needs will help you increase your daily energy expenditure and keep your metabolism high.
Individual Factors
The largest percentage of your metabolism is determined by your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, and is difficult to change. Inherent factors such as being younger, being male and having a genetically lean body composition will cause your to burn more calories during the day and have a higher RMR. Your RMR accounts for about 60 to 75 percent of your metabolic requirements.
Exercise
The easiest way to boost your metabolism is to get more exercise. Physical activity accounts for about 30 percent of your metabolism, and you can increase this number by exercising more intensely, more frequently and for longer duration. You can also lift weights in the gym to build muscle, resulting in greater lean body mass -- further enhancing your metabolism.
Diet
The act of digesting food comprises about 7 to 10 of your total metabolism. You can increase your metabolism by consistently exercising your digestive system, eating several meals throughout the day. You continue to digest food several hours after you eat, so eating several small meals throughout the day will keep you burning calories. The worst thing you can do to your metabolism is to consume fewer calories. Fruits and vegetables, whole grain oats, lean meats and foods low in fat are best for increasing metabolism.
Calculating Your Energy Requirements
You can determine your actual energy requirements based on your physical activity level and your RMR. By entering your age, sex, weight, and amount of physical activity into an online calculator, you can get a very accurate glimpse as to what your body's metabolic needs are. Adults with light activity levels generally need about 16 to 17 calories per 1 lb. of body weight, respectively. Moderately active adults need about 17 to 19 calories per 1 lb., and adults with heavy activity levels need 20 to 23 calories for each 1 lb. of body weight.
References
- "Physiology of Sports and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill; 2004
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle (editors); 2008
- KidsHealth: Metabolism
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