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“Rev Up” Your Metabolism

Presentation by:

Cindy Sass, RD,CDE

March 8, 2012

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Objectives Describe what metabolism is; Discuss factors that influence metabolism; Review common misconceptions about

boosting metabolism and Provide evidence based recommendations

on how to “rev up” your metabolism.

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Metabolism.. What is it? Metabolism consists of the energy spent to

keep the heart beating, the lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the cells conducting their activities, the nerves generating the streams of electrical impulses.

In short to keep all the processes going on that support life.

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Metabolism.. What is it? The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate

at which energy is spent for these activities. BMR is usually expressed in kilocalories

per hour. A kilocalorie (kcal) is the amount of energy

required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water, 1°C.

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Metabolism.. What is it? The two major contributors to energy output

in humans are: Metabolic processes Voluntary activities

Metabolic contribution to energy expenditure accounts for at least 2/3 of the energy spent in a day.

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Determining Metabolism The metabolic rate is highest in the young

and decreases about 2% per decade after growth has stopped.

It is higher in people with larger surface areas. In two people who weigh the same, the taller,

thinner person will have a faster metabolic rate.

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Determining Metabolism Metabolic rate generally is lower in older

people and in females. The key to the difference is in the amount

of lean body tissue or fat free mass. Lean tissue is more active metabolically

than fat tissue even during rest.

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Determining Metabolism Fever increases the energy needs of cells,

raising the metabolic rate by 7% for each degree Fahrenheit.

Fasting and constant malnutrition lower metabolic output.

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Determining Metabolism Lean muscle mass

Age Gender – male or female

Height Fever or stress High thyroid gland activity

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Estimations of Energy Output Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

1.0 kcal/kg/body weight/hour (Men)

0.9 kcal/kg/body weight/hour (Women)

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Example:Mark, 150 lbs

Change pounds to kilograms:150 lb ÷ 2.2 lb/kg = 68 kg

Multiply weight in kilograms by the BMR factor:68 x 1.0 kcal/kg/hr = 68 kcal/hr

Multiply the kcal used in one hour by the hours in a day:68 kcal/hr x 24 hr/day = 1 632 kcal/day

Basal metabolic rate = 1 623 kcal per day

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Voluntary Muscular Activity The following are crude approximations

based on the amount of muscular work a person typically does in a day.

For sedentary activity add 40-50 % of the BMR. For light activity (a teacher) add 55-65%. For moderate activity ( a nurse) add 65-70%. For heavy work (a roofer) add 75 -100%.

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Energy Spent on Various Activities kcal/kg/hour (exclusive of BMR)

Sleeping 0

Washing dishes 1.2

Walking (3 mph) 2.3

Vacuuming floor 3.2

Typing rapidly 1.2

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Example:Mark a Carleton U employee

If Mark had a desk job, we could estimate the energy he needs for physical activities by multiplying his BMR kcal/day by 50%. 1,632 kcal/day x 50% = 816 kcal/day

Energy for activities equals 816 kcal/day

Total for day 1 632 + 816 = 2 448 kcal/day

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Mental Activity Intense mental activity requires only slightly

more energy than resting.

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Question 1 I have been a yo-yo dieter most of my life. I

have lost and regained the same 50 lbs a few times now.

Have I messed up my metabolism?

Is there any hope for me?

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Answer Your metabolism is most likely slower

today: When people lose weight they not only lose fat,

they lose lean body tissue as well. When people regain weight, usually they end up

with a larger body fat % and a lower lean body mass %.

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Answer Rx:

Add some strength training to your regime which should also include a reduction in food calories and some cardiovascular (voluntary muscular) activity.

Building lean body mass will boost your metabolism while at rest.

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Question 2 I have heard that certain foods are fat

burning foods. Can these foods boost my metabolism?

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Answer Don’t fall for fat burning foods.

There are no studies that back these common myths of foods like grapefruit and celery or being fat burning foods.

Drinking cold water will not significantly boost your metabolism.

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Question 3 I have a friend who is taking a supplement

with green tea which claims to boost metabolism, is this true?

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Answer There are many metabolism boosting

supplements on the market today. Bottom line – don’t waste your money! Some popular supplements that claim to boost

metabolism; Green Tea Extract Peppers, ginger

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Supplements There is limited evidence that any

supplement will boost metabolism. Green Tea extract can cause bloating,

vomiting and indigestion and may contain large amounts of caffeine.

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Question 4 I saw a magazine ad that promotes

cleansing your body of impurities by fasting a drinking a liver tonic. One of the benefits of this process was to increase metabolism. Can this help?

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Answer The idea that fasting or skipping meals is a

great way to cleanse the system of impurities, speed metabolism and encourage weight loss is just another myth.

Denying the body of food calories can slow metabolism and encourage the storage of energy in the form of fat.

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Question 5 Does spicy food increase metabolism?

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Answer Spicy food may increase the metabolic rate

slightly, but not enough to make much of a difference.

The difference may be found in the observation that people usually eat less when eating spicy food rather than bland food.

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Question 6 Now that I am in my 40’s I find it much

harder to keep to a healthy weight. Is this because my metabolism has slowed down?

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Answer It is true that your metabolism slows down

as you age. For every decade after growth stops your metabolism will slow down by 2%. This relates to a 4-5 % decline in your metabolism since the age of 20. This translates to 70 kcal/day.

Metabolism slows as we lose lean muscle mass.

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Answer It is estimated that there is a 3 % decrease

in voluntary activity per decade so the total effect on your energy intake per day would be approximately 140 kcal/day.

This would translate into an extra 30 minutes walk/day of voluntary activity or a reduction in calories ( 1 bread, 2 small cookies.)

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Question 7 Does working out with weights really make

a difference on metabolism?

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Answer Lean muscle mass is more metabolically

active than fat mass. Muscle will burn more calories at rest.

A young woman, older woman, and older man can have as rapid a metabolism as a young man if they have the same amount of lean tissue.

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Answer To build lean muscle mass, aim for two

sessions of strength training a week. Strength training can include using hand

weight to do bicep curls, using weight machines at the gym, calisthenics like push-ups and abdominal crunches, Pilates and some forms of yoga.

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Strength Training A recent study confirmed that strength

training boosts metabolism and improves body composition.

The study included a group of men and women ages 61-77.

The group participated in a 3 days per week strength training program for 6 months.

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Strength Training After 6 months the strength training group;

Got much stronger Lost 6 lbs of fat Gained 4.5 pounds of lean tissue Started participating in more leisure time

activities on a regular basis Had a 12% increase in total energy expenditure This boost in metabolism meant that they were

burning 230 kcal more per day.

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Question 8 Should I focus only on strength training for

exercise?

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Answer The biggest burn of extra calories comes

from voluntary activities – the more you move, the more you burn!

Running, hiking, walking, cycling, fitness classes, dancing, using cardio machines at a gym.

Ideally 4-5 times a week for 30-40 minutes each time.

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Calories burned during exercise Bicycling, light effort 422 calories Golf carrying clubs 387 calories Tennis (doubles) 422 calories Walking dog 246 calories Swimming, treading water 281 calories Sailing 211 calories

Question 9 Is there a way I can boost my metabolism

by making better food choices?

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Answer The type of starches you pick may increase

your metabolism. In a study a group of dieters that were

given low glycemic index foods vs. high glycemic index foods, had a small increase in their metabolism.

Low GI foods include oatmeal, legumes, all bran, stoneground bread, apples.

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Answer The body burns many more calories digesting

protein. Protein may require almost 25% more energy to digest compared to fat.

Replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can jump-start the metabolism at mealtime.

Healthy sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

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Question 10 If I eat regular meals will it boost my

metabolism?

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Answer When you eat large meals with many hours in

between, you train your metabolism to slow down.

Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day.

Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at meal time.

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Summary To Rev up your metabolism:

Build lean body tissue – engage in strength training at least 2 times a week.

Move your body – voluntary activity burn lots of calories.

Choose lean protein and low GI foods. Eat regular meals and snacks – eat smaller

meals more often.

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Thank You!