Exercise. Metabolism.

by Paula Allia PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS
What does the word metabolism mean to you? Does your body have a fast or slow metabolism? This is a topic that everyone should question. Once you know about your metabolism, what can you do to affect a change?
Metabolism is the process that the body uses to convert energy for the body. Metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories. Some people have a higher rate than others. This means that through the day, and even at rest, that more calories are utilized to fuel the body for rest as well as for daily activities.
Body composition affects the body’s metabolic rate. For example, it is common for people who have more muscle and less fat to have a higher metabolic rate. Similarly, people with a lot of body fat tend to have slower metabolic rates. It takes more calories just to provide an efficient amount of nutrition to muscles rather than fat.
Commonly, men tend to have a higher percentage of muscle mass and thus a higher resting metabolic rate. Many people participate in dieting as a new year’s resolution. What is more appropriate is to have a change in the consumption of the right foods at the right time and make a total lifestyle change.
Lifestyle changes, other than more appropriate eating habits, should include some forms of activities. Exercise can cause the body’s metabolic rate to change. It is time to explore what exercise can do for you.
Exercise can have many beneficial effects on the body. Some of these include:
- Increased metabolic rate
- Increased muscle tone
- Increased muscle mass
- Increased muscle strength
- Increased metabolism in the brain using sugar for fuel
- Improved insulin sensitivity
Addressing muscles and metabolism can be key to calorie usage. Small muscles that are relatively weak compared to larger muscles tend to have less tone, size, and require less calories to maintain. To increase caloric utilization certain exercises can be done to affect change.
Strength training particularly can improve a person’s rate of metabolism and thus increase the calorie utilization if done right. This rate may remain high for hours after exercise depending on upon the intensity of the strength training done that day.
The higher the intensity, the higher the chance of increasing metabolism. Studies have shown high intensity strength training can enhance caloric usage by 20 times. Though this is temporary initially (and the rate returns lower), as muscle increases in size the body’s metabolic rate can make positive effects on keeping a higher metabolic rate.
Sometimes when beginning an exercise program, low weights are used in order to not cause undue strain/injury to the body.
These early stages of strength training using low weights and a high number of repetitions target slower twitch muscles and improve the neuromuscular activity.
It is not easy to maintain tone and metabolism unless activities using muscles continue. As the strength training results improve, tone improves and possibly some of the body fat may reduce thus exhibiting the tone. This is why people start to see results whether are not using higher intensities yet.
It is a good feeling to notice the tone in the mirror.
In order to increase muscle mass and thus have bigger strength gains, more intensity with heavier weight and less repetitions are needed. When using heavier weights, more muscle fibers are recruited and challenged. This type of strength training uses less repetitions because the muscle fatigues earlier due to some of the fiber types being used.
High weight and repetition is usually 6-8 reps with multiple sets done. This method can challenge the muscle and cause more muscle bulk and strength and result in increased metabolic rate. Cardiovascular training utilizes calories but this is dependent upon the intensity used as well.
If a high intensity is used there can be an increase in calorie utilization even after the exercise is done for an extended period of time but many people cannot push the body hard enough to make this happen (due to health problems or orthopedic limitations).
In summary, if you want to increase metabolic rate and calorie utilization, weight training is key. The higher intensity and lower Reps can increase more muscle bulk, more strength, and more calorie burning. Low weights increase tone and general strength but do not increase metabolism enough. Gradual change can be done safely and effectively.
Start to affect change today!
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