We have all read health articles claiming that consuming extremely hot dishes can boost metabolism, but how true is that?
What is metabolism?
First, let’s look at what metabolism really is. Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions designed to convert food into energy and get rid of waste.
Having a high metabolism means that you can have direct energy from food and get rid of unnecessary elements effectively. A hypotonic metabolism, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are often warned that their condition may interfere with their metabolic efficiency, which is why increased body fat can be a common symptom.
Can metabolism be boosted?
“The metabolism in our body is very strictly regulated,” says Dr. Bryna Chrismas at Stylist. “There are many different processes that control our metabolism, including the brain, muscles and organs.”
He goes on to explain that, in short, metabolism has to do with how we break down calories into energy: “Our body chooses to break down either fat or carbohydrates under normal conditions into ATP (energy) and at rest prefers to use fat. “During exercise, especially if it is high intensity, he prefers to use carbohydrates because it is faster and easier to produce energy.”
The issue is when we start talking about “speeding up” the metabolism.
Green tea is full of excellent nutrients, but it will probably have no effect on the effort our body uses. Regarding foods that boost metabolism, Dr. Chrismas immediately rejects the idea as a “myth”. Thoughts that cayenne pepper and green tea speed up our metabolic rate are based on what she calls “very loose scientific claims.”
“Substances like caffeine can carry more fatty acids to the muscles or mitochondria to be used for energy – but this is very different from burning fat,” he explains. “Metabolism is basically the way our bodies decide to generate energy – and it has to do with converting the calories we consume into energy.”
This idea of speeding up metabolism “is not supported at all by scientific evidence,” warns the expert. “There have been some studies in rats that show that we have more free fatty acids available if we choose these foods, but this has nothing to do with fat loss or speed of metabolism.”
The expert goes on to say that natural “boosters” such as caffeine and spices “have absolutely no effect on boosting metabolism”.
“The ultimate goal of boosting metabolism is not really to use more energy – we actually want to be more efficient and conserve our energy,” says Dr. Chrismas. Sure, we want good metabolic health (that is, having a system that allows us to use energy efficiently), but if the goal is to “boost” or “increase” metabolism then the only possible goal will be to lose weight or fat. And that is wrong.
It is worth noting that some foods need more energy to be broken down and digested, such as protein foods and those that are high in fiber. A small-scale 2021 study (in just 33 people) found that a high-protein diet increased daily energy expenditure compared to low-protein diets.
How to improve your metabolic health
The only real way to change your metabolic health is through strength training. Increasing muscle mass has been shown to be one of the factors that can increase metabolism, but the result is largely based on the basal metabolic rate and body mass of each individual.
Whatever your goals, it is a fact that strength training burns body fat and builds lean muscle mass. The stronger you become, the more energy you end up burning every day when your body is at rest, and your metabolism stays active for up to 38 hours after an strength workout.
A review of 18 studies found that resistance training was effective in increasing the resting metabolic rate (the amount of energy you need to stay alive), in contrast to cardio, which had a much smaller impact.
Ultimately, food can not improve our metabolic health, while strength training offers many benefits, in addition to speeding up the rate at which we burn the calories of the food we consume.
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