No, Your Metabolism Probably Doesn't Slow Down In Middle Age, According to Research—So Keep It In the Best Possible Shape With These Tips
One of the biggest gripes many people have as they age is a slower metabolism.
You’ve probably heard the complaint, “I can’t eat like I used to!” from time to time from friends or family members. But a new study in the journal Science found that metabolism may actually not slow down as much before the age of 60 as previously thought. In fact, it remains pretty stable between the ages of 20 and 60, and only slows down slightly after that point.
In a lot of ways, this is exciting news—we’re not powerless in the face of our slowing metabolisms after all. But having a better understanding of what metabolism is, how it works, and lifestyle tweaks you can make to speed it up can only help in keeping off unwanted pounds as you age. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is metabolism, exactly?
Every human has a metabolism, and it helps keep us alive.
“Metabolism is the chemical reactions in the body that change food into energy,” says Emily L. Doctor, DNP, nurse practitioner with NYU Langone’s Weight Management Program. “Our bodies need this energy to do everything from moving to thinking to growing.”
Specifically, there are a number of proteins in our bodies that control the chemical reactions of the metabolism, and several hormones that help control the rate and direction of the metabolism. “For example, thyroxine is a hormone that is made and released by the thyroid gland,” says Doctor. “Thyroxine plays a key role in determining how fast or slow the chemical reactions of the metabolism are.”
What does it mean to have a “slow” metabolism?
There are a lot of factors that go into how fast or slow a metabolism is. While age is proven to play a small role, that’s hardly all there is to it. “Many things can affect metabolism including how much muscle you have, your thyroid function, your physical activity and the rate at which you lose weight,” says Sonya Angelone, MS, RDN, CLT, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
According to Angelone, the main reason we say that metabolism slows down as we age is that we tend to gain fat and lose muscle as we get older, and fat is less ‘metabolically active’ than muscle. “This is often because people become less active, not just as a natural cause of advancing years,” says Angelone.
Metabolism is greatly determined by the number of calories someone burns in a day, which is impacted by how much a person exercises and the amount of fat and muscle in his or her body, referred to as basal metabolic rate (BMR).
“Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a measure of the rate at which a person’s body ‘burns’ energy, in the form of calories, at rest,” adds Doctor. “People with more muscle and less fat generally have higher BMRs, meaning they burn more energy at rest. For example, a person who exercises more not only burns more calories, but becomes more physically fit, which increases his or her BMR.”
Related: 40 Tips To Avoid Gaining Weight
Does your metabolism really slow down with age?
Based on this recent study, the biggest takeaway may be that ultimately muscle mass declines as we age, especially after 60, and fat increases. “Our basal metabolic rate declines, and we perceive this as a ‘slowed’ metabolism,” says Doctor.
She adds that ultimately it also means that as a society we are consuming more calories than we burn, and we are more sedentary.
“I think the important point is that beyond ‘calories in vs calories out’, it’s really about the way the calories are absorbed by the body: burned, excreted, or turned into body mass,” says Doctor. “This emphasizes the importance of continuing to exercise, build muscle and consume high-quality protein throughout our lifespan, even more so as we age.”
Tips for keeping your metabolism fast and healthy
If you’re concerned about your metabolism affecting your weight as you get older, there are things you can do to avoid the middle-age spread. Here are seven of them.
Resistance training
Muscle mass is the basis for metabolism. The less muscle you have the fewer calories you can consume. “People lose muscle as they get older. Rather than devote all your time to walking or biking, you can burn more calories by keeping muscle mass up with resistance training,” says Dr. Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic. “You burn more calories if you have 20 more pounds of muscle than fat.”
Keep moving
Besides resistance training, add interval training to your cardio routine and burn more calories in less time.
“For example, run for a minute, then walk for two minutes. Repeat this pattern for 20 to 30 minutes,” says Doctor. “Everyone has a different ability, but find something you can do 20-30 minutes per day and do it consistently five to seven days per week. Even if you park in the back of the grocery parking lot, those small differences add up!”
Lose weight slowly
“If you try to lose weight too quickly, a couple of things happen. First, you will lose more muscle which is metabolically active. This will cause you to require even fewer calories,” says Angelone. “Second, it will stress your body, and your thyroid gland specifically which will cause your body to partly shut down as a survival response. Since it isn’t getting many calories, it will just conserve them and require fewer calories each day.”
Eat high-quality protein to fuel your muscles throughout the day
“Metabolism relies on enzymes which act as catalysts to promote the chains of reactions—enzymes are proteins,” says Angelone. “If you don’t eat enough protein, your body has to break down muscle or stored protein in order to maintain the many chemical reactions that support life.”
Related: Best Foods For Your Metabolism
Adds Doctor, “For an adult, I recommend a minimum of 1.2 up to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram per day and for the elderly I recommend 1.2-1.5 grams per kilogram per day.”
Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night
“Research has consistently demonstrated that when we get less than that our cortisol levels increase which causes us to metabolize food more slowly and crave more fattening and starchy foods,” says Doctor.
She notes that s four-year joint study by the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University found that adults who regularly slept for only five hours a night increased their levels of hunger-inducing ghrelin by 14.9% and lowered their levels of appetite-suppressing leptin by 15.5%.
Eat breakfast
Studies show that if you start the day with breakfast, you will burn more calories earlier in the day. “If you skip breakfast, your metabolisms have to slow down in order to conserve calories so you can get through your morning without food,” says Angelone. “Eat breakfast so your body doesn’t need to learn how to slow down in order to function properly.”
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Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
“Inflammation slows metabolism. Eat a variety of minimally processed and colorful fruits and vegetables to tame inflammation,” says Angelone. “These foods provide many natural plant compounds in addition to many vitamins and minerals which can lower inflammation.”
The Worst Eating Habits For Your Metabolism, Say Experts
If you're pursuing new weight loss goals or trying to maintain your current weight, it's important not to forget about caring for your metabolism. This process is vital for numerous bodily functions, which include converting food into energy and burning calories. If we have a fast metabolism, our bodies are burning calories even while we sleep! But if our metabolism is slowed down, we are burning less energy and fewer calories.
We may have a slow metabolism without even realizing it. Some common symptoms of a slower metabolism include things like hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, and weight gain or trouble losing weight. Although it can be frustrating to live with a slower metabolism, there are certain eating habits we can change to help us speed up our metabolic rate.
Not eating enough protein throughout the day
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Getting enough protein is an important part of boosting our metabolic health. According to Nutrition & Metabolism, consuming a high-protein diet is directly correlated to better overall metabolism.
Pincus adds that it's not only how much protein we eat, but when we eat it that matters. "Most of us consume enough total protein but we don't properly divide it between our meals and snacks to maximize our muscle growth and repair," says Pincus.
She recommends setting a specific goal of protein for every meal to make sure we get enough throughout the day. "You'll want to go for a minimum of about 20 to 25 grams of protein (3 to 4 ounces) per meal, especially during breakfast," says Pincus.
Skipping breakfast
It can be tempting to wake up in the morning and skip breakfast. Maybe you are super busy and forget to have food with your coffee, or perhaps you are trying to cut calories so you decide to avoid the first meal of the day. Whatever the reason is for skipping, you may want to reconsider!
"Think of your metabolism like a fire; in order for it to burn, you have to light it," says Goodson, "and breakfast does just that."
If you're someone who struggles to "start this fire" in the morning, try changing up your breakfast routine so you can fit in a balanced meal.
"The goal is to start your fire, or metabolism, with a nutrient-rich breakfast of fiber, protein, and healthy fat," says Goodson. "That could include things like eggs with veggies, oatmeal with peanut butter, Greek yogurt with berries, or a breakfast wrap on a whole-grain tortilla with egg, cheese, lean protein (veggies are a plus) and a side of fruit."
Getting too many of your daily calories at night
This tip is similar to our previous one about not skipping breakfast, but it's also important for us to take a look at our other meals throughout the day.
"Our bodies like to eat during daylight hours when we are more active and need proper fueling," says Pincus. We don't eat food while we sleep, because our bodies don't need to, but what we eat during the day affects our evening hours, which in turn affects our metabolism!
"As the sun sets, our digestive system slows down to prepare for sleep, so people who skip breakfast, eat little during the day, and consume a large portion of their daily calories in the evening are working against natural biorhythms," says Pincus.
In order to balance our metabolism based on our natural circadian rhythm, Pincus suggests eating a nourishing breakfast, a larger and hearty lunch, and a smaller dinner portion.
Not eating enough fiber
Fiber can help our metabolism in two main ways: the digestion process, and by keeping us full.
"Fiber can increase metabolism by requiring more energy to process," says Pincus, "and fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole grains that contain fiber help to keep us full and well-nourished throughout the day."
Not getting enough calories
Cutting calories can sometimes be an effective way to reach our weight loss goals, but if we don't consume enough calories throughout the day, it will actually slow down our metabolism!
"You have to eat calories to burn calories," says Goodson, "and while a caloric deficit is needed for weight loss, consuming too few calories can make your body think food is scarce and slow down its metabolism to compensate."
Eating too much ultra-processed food
Your metabolism is affected by the amount of food we eat and when we eat it, but it's also impacted by the type of food we eat. Many experts recommend limiting our processed food intake for this reason.
"Highly processed packaged foods are typically digested quickly and lack fiber, which means they don't require a lot of energy for processing," says Pincus.
But sometimes we are in a bind, and we need to grab a quick snack. If you need to go for the packaged food, Pincus suggests looking for "something with fiber-rich ingredients like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits, and veggies when possible."
For more healthy metabolism tips, read these next:
Weight loss: This ONE drink could boost your metabolism impressively
One cup of green tea in the evening replaced with the traditional high tea snacks or a cup of iced latte can help lower your calorie intake, boost metabolism and burn some calories at the same time.
Key Highlights
- Most of green tea's benefits come from catechins
- Metabolic syndrome triggers conditions like hypertension, type-2 diabetes and increases risk of chronic heart conditions
- Green tea, as per a study of Japanese obese people, was proven to have benefits for metabolic syndrome
- New Delhi: We live in a world of convenience, where everyone is looking for a solution that requires minimal effort with maximum benefit. And when it comes to weight loss – a process that takes weeks and months to lose just a few pounds – the parameter that makes difference is metabolism.
Nutritionists, dieticians and gym experts recommend a plethora of ways to boost metabolism in an effort to lose weight faster and their suggestions are often diet-centric – foods and drinks that could speed up the process. And while their suggestions can include foods like nuts, grilled lean meat, vegetables and drinks like lemon water every morning, there is one beverage that is deemed best by experts for boosting metabolism.
One cup of green tea in the evening replaced with the traditional high tea snacks or a cup of iced latte can help lower your calorie intake, boost metabolism and burn some calories at the same time. Wondering how green tea boosts metabolism? We’ll tell you.
How green tea boosts metabolism
What makes green tea super special is its antioxidants content which acts as a catalyst in the weight loss process. Most of this drink’s benefits come from catechins – antioxidants of the flavonoid family known for lowering heart disease and cancer risk. One such catechin is EGCG known for its benefits in improving metabolism. As per a study published in The Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, it was shown that EGCG can increase thermogenesis process which helps burn calories when the body warms up. It also increases fat oxidation process in some people.
Lower risk of metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome triggers conditions like hypertension, type-2 diabetes and increases risk of chronic heart conditions. Green tea, as per a study of Japanese obese people, was proven to have benefits for metabolic syndrome and the conditions linked to it when consumed regularly. Another study on Chinese population proved that half a cup of green tea consumed every day is linked to lower risk of high blood pressure.
For those seeking maximum benefits from regular consumption of green tea, experts recommend not adding sugar to the beverage as the same can defeat the purpose. A safe sweetener for green tea is half a teaspoon of honey. One of the healthiest beverages for weight loss, green tea is a must have for all those looking for ways to lose weight and boost metabolism.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
