What Is No. 1 Metabolism Booster?

Metabolism is the process of converting what you eat and drink into energy. The number of calories your body uses for digesting food and for physiological functions is known as your metabolic rate. While the energy required to process foods and run your body remain relatively steady, you can increase your physical activity. This might raise your metabolism, according to exercise physiologist Alice Burron, who believes exercise is the No. 1 metabolism booster.

Metabolism Basics

MayoClinic.com notes people who are said to have a fast metabolism are probably just more active and perhaps more fidgety than other people. Keep in mind that your metabolism gets slower as you age because muscle mass decreases with age, and muscle burns more calories than fat. Your size also affects your metabolism. Larger people have faster metabolisms than petite people. The same goes for men compared with women, mostly due to more muscle mass in men. Typically, it's easier for men to lose weight than women for this reason.

Exercise as Metabolism Booster

According to "Fitness" magazine, an intense strength-training session, such as lifting moderately heavy weights, can boost metabolism by 25 percent and keep it revved for 15 hours afterward. A vigorous aerobic workout might do the same thing. In a study of young men published in the February 2011 issue of "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise," cycling vigorously for 45 minutes resulted in a significant metabolism boost that lasted for 14 hours after cycling. Morning exercise helps boost metabolism and give you energy for the entire day, according to a Department of Defense military health system blog.

Why Exercise Works

Increasing your physical activity gives you a calorie-burning bonus by boosting your metabolism post-exercise. Vigorous exercise, such as an intense workout on an exercise bike, will give you the best metabolism boost by causing something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. That basically means an increase in your metabolic rate after an exercise session. Weightlifting can also be an effective metabolism booster because when you have more muscle mass, you'll burn more calories, even when at rest.

Tips

For an additional metabolism boost, drink caffeinated beverages and avoid ultra low-calorie diets. MayoClinic.com notes starvation diets will cause your metabolism to actually slow down as your body tries to conserve energy. Look for ways to move around during your day. Take the stairs instead of elevators and park in the far corner of parking lots. Lift weights or do jumping jacks during the commercials of your favorite TV shows. By working out daily and sneaking other physical activities into your schedule, you might boost your metabolism and lose weight faster.