The metabolism, or the rate at which the body burns calories, plays an essential role in boosting weight loss. However, the metabolism decreases with age, mainly because of a loss of muscle mass and a reduction in physical activity. Research indicates tweaking your training and dietary program can help boost the metabolism naturally.
Resistance Exercise
Researchers from Colorado State University investigated the effects of resistance exercise on post-exercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women. At the end of the study, which was published in the March 2000 issue of the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism," scientists discovered participants performing 100 minutes of resistance exercise experienced increases in metabolic rate post-exercise.
Water
Scientists from Humboldt University in Germany and McMaster University in Canada explored the impact of water intake on the metabolism. Healthy subjects consumed 500 mL of water and were measured for energy expenditure and fat oxidation, or fat burning. They reported in the August 2003 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" that subjects experienced a 30 percent increase in metabolism.
Grapefruit
In research reported in the May 2010 issue of the "American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism," scientists from Kao Corporation in Japan studied the effects of nootkatone, a constituent found in grapefruit, on energy expenditure. They discovered that nootkatone increases energy expenditure by stimulating the activation of the enzyme AMPK, which enhances energy metabolism.
Caffeine
Researchers from Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark examined the effects of caffeine on energy expenditure in healthy volunteers. Participants consumed a placebo or 100, 200 and 400 mg of caffeine. They reported in the May 1990 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that subjects increased energy expenditure in a dose-dependent matter compared to a placebo.
References
- International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: Effect of Acute Resistance Exercise on Postexercise Oxygen Consumption and Resting Metabolic Rate In Young Women; K.L. Osterberg and C.L. Melby; March 2000
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: Water Induce Thermogenesis; M. Boschmann et al.; August 2003
- American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism: Nootkatone, a Characteristic Constituent of Grapefruit, Stimulates Energy Metabolism and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity By Activating AMPK; T. Murase et al.; May 2010
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Caffeine: a Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study of Its Thermogenic, Metabolic, and Cardiovascular Effects in Healthy Volunteers; A. Astrup et al.; May 1990
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