Your metabolism is the process through which your body converts food into the energy you need to power your various biological processes, KidsHealth.org notes. Your endocrine system is involved in managing the rate and direction of your metabolism. Metabolism is a complex process and your metabolic rate is affected by various factors such as food intake and genetic background. You may be predisposed to health conditions that affect your metabolism such as galactosemia, a congenital disorder that impairs the ability to properly metabolize sugar in milk.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Exercise and overall physical activity such as sports and walking affect how much energy your body consumes daily, MayoClinic.com says. The act of processing your food into energy, or thermogenesis, only consumes about 10 percent of the calories you consume daily. Physical activities account for the remaining 90 percent. Of course you are already consuming energy even when you are at rest because basic biological functions such as breathing, growing, regulating hormone levels and circulating blood throughout your body require energy.
Body Size and Fitness Level
Body size and fitness level affect your metabolic rate, BBC Health explains. Contrary to popular belief people who are larger have higher metabolic rates than their smaller counterparts. Larger bodies have larger muscles and internal organs and require more energy to power than smaller bodies. Fitness level also influences metabolic rate. Two people of the same age and size will have different metabolic rates if one has a higher fitness level than the other.
Age and Gender
Age and gender affects metabolic rate, MayoClinic.com notes. Muscle needs more energy than fat and because people have a tendency to lose muscle and gain fat with age their metabolic rate slows as they grow older. Gender also affects metabolic rate. Men and women from the same age group have different muscle and fat ratios. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than their female counterparts within the same age group, so their metabolic rate has a tendency to be higher.
Health Disorders
Certain health disorders such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and diabetes affect metabolic rate, KidsHealth.org notes. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism affect the growth and mental development as well as metabolic rate. People with hyperthyroidism have high metabolic rates while those with hypothyroidism have low metabolic rates. Diabetes affects your ability to metabolize sugar and causes weight gain. Weight gain affects your metabolic rate. G6PD, or Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase, deficiency affects the way your body metabolizes carbohydrates. This affects your metabolic rate because it affects your breathing and heart rate.
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