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8 factors affecting your metabolism
From your genetic makeup to the kind of diet you consume on a regular basis, a lot many factors can affect your metabolism. Here, see 8 factors that may have an impact on your metabolism.
Factors affecting your metabolism
Every time someone talks about weight loss and weight gain, they are sure to make mention of metabolism. Metabolism refers to the collective chemical processes in one's body that help them function and grow. The metabolism, however, may be different for different people. The reasons behind this are many.
Pranay Jham, a health and wellness expert, lists nine factors that may affect one's metabolism.
Age - As you get older, your metabolic rate generally slows down because there's a loss of muscle tissue and changes in hormones.
During developmental phases, kids go through periods of extreme rates of metabolism.
Gender - It is believed that men have a greater rate of metabolism as compared to women. The body size accounts for the difference.
Muscle mass - Muscle tissue requires more energy to function than fat. So anyone with a higher muscle percentage tends to have a higher metabolism.
Hormonal factors - The thyroid gland regulates the rate of energy metabolism and conditions like hyperthyroidism (over activity) can increase metabolism by 70-80 per cent and hypothyroidism (reduced activity) can decrease metabolism by 30-40 per cent.
Climate - Metabolism increases in colder climates and decreases in tropical climates. The thyroid gland can adjust the body's metabolism to the climate around it.
Physical activities including exercise or sports on a regular basis increase metabolism during the activity period and also when the body is at rest post activity.
The genetic blueprint can dictate the metabolism of an individual but as nutrient uptake is not a uniform process, cells must continually calibrate gene expression to their changing energy budgets.
Diet/state of nutrition - The food that we consume changes the metabolism on a regular basis. A diet filled with regular intake of junk food, refined sugar, refined carbohydrate, deep-fried food, and alcohol will definitely lower the metabolism. Whilst a healthy diet will help keep all the metabolic pathways in check.
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