Metabolism is a hot topic right now. Everyone seems to be talking about it, and for good reason! Metabolism plays a huge role in weight loss and weight gain. In this blog post, we will discuss four things you need to know about metabolism. By understanding these concepts, you will be able to work with your metabolism instead of against it!
What is metabolism?
We can understand metabolism as a set of several transformations that take place in the body of all living organisms in order to promote the maintenance of well-being and health. These processes are carried out through chemical substances which, in turn, are catalyzed by enzymes, guaranteeing and controlling our material and energy resources.
It is essentially the engine that drives all of your bodily functions. Metabolism can be affected by a variety of factors, including age, weight, diet, and activity level.
A person's metabolism can be classified as either fast or slow. A fast metabolism means that your body is able to burn calories quickly and efficiently. A slow metabolism, on the other hand, means that it takes your body longer to convert food into energy.
Metabolism also plays a role in how much fat your body stores. People with a fast metabolism tend to have less body fat than those with a slow metabolism. This is because a fast metabolism burns calories quickly, so there is less of a chance for those calories to be stored as fat.
Finally, metabolism can also affect how hungry you feel. People with a slow metabolism may feel hungrier than those with a fast metabolism because their bodies are not converting food into energy as quickly.
How does it work?
Being responsible for the biochemical transformations that take place inside an individual or any other living organism, metabolism can be divided into two main stages: catabolism and anabolism.
Catabolism: It can also be called the degradative pathway, this process consists of the disassembly of larger molecules into smaller fragments. The energy released by catabolic pathways is absorbed by the body in order to carry out activities. In us, human beings, the reconstruction, and recovery of muscle tissues also take place at this time.
Anabolism: This process is also known as the biosynthetic pathway and refers to reactions in which smaller molecules result in larger, more complex molecules. It is precise during anabolism that ingested proteins are transformed into amino acids, being essential for the processes that involve the expansion and maintenance of our organism.
Well, now that you've understood a little about the importance and how the processes that involve your metabolism work, how about discovering 4 relevant facts about it?
1- It is present in every little cell of your body
Some people end up confusing and understanding metabolism as a part of the organism: an organ, a muscle or something along those lines. But not!
In fact, its concept is much broader, since it is part of all the processes that regulate our survival. Briefly, we can understand that it is this set of transformations and chemical reactions that maintain our life, our health and our well-being.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand that metabolism is present in everything, in each microscopic unit that makes up our physical structure.
2- Your body burns calories even at rest
It may seem a little strange, but it's true.
Keeping the body functioning properly requires effort and constant work, resulting in an expressive consumption of calories, even when resting. This process refers to what we call basal metabolism, which, in short, designates the minimum amount of energy needed to maintain all the vital functions of the organism: breathing, body temperature, heartbeat, etc.
In addition to rest, we can also burn calories during digestion and during physical activities.
3- Metabolism has no magic formula and is not constant
We know it may seem a bit obvious, but it's always important to remember that every human being is completely individual. In other words, you can't compare his body with someone else's. It's not valid to wonder why so-and-so gets "x' results in the gym and you don't. This happens precisely because of the differences in the metabolism of one individual to another.
That's why it's important to keep a professional follow-up when performing diets and training, because only then will you be able to adopt personalized practices that really make sense for you and for the results you want to achieve.
4- Aging slows down metabolism
Some factors can cause a reduction in the rate of metabolism and one of them is aging. But it must be made clear that this process happens very slowly and gradually, even if the levels of fat and muscle tissue remain unchanged. This is due to the progressive changes in the body composition of individuals over the years. That's why betting on a balanced diet and following a physical exercise routine is so important, because that way you can boost your caloric expenditure.
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