Metabolism

What is metabolism? Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes going on continuously inside your body that allow life and normal functioning (maintaining normal functioning in the body is called homeostasis). These processes include those that break down nutrients from our food, and those that build and repair our body.

Building and repairing the body requires energy that ultimately comes from your food.

), that your body burns at any given time is affected by your metabolism.

Achieving or maintaining a healthy weight is a balancing act

For our metabolism, we store it mostly as fat. Most of the energy we use each day is used to keep all the systems in our body functioning properly.

This is out of our control

However, we can make metabolism work for us when we exercise.

When you are active, the body burns more energy (kilojoules)

Our metabolism is complex – put simply it has 2 parts, which are carefully regulated by the body to make sure they remain in balance.

They are:

• ) into their simpler forms
• which can then be used to provide energy
• the basic building blocks needed for growth
• repair. – the part of metabolism in which our body is built or repaired. Anabolism requires energy that ultimately comes from our food

When we eat more than we need for daily anabolism, the excess nutrients are typically stored in our body as fat. Your body’s metabolic rate (or total energy expenditure) can be divided into 3 components, which are:

• even at rest
• the body needs energy (kilojoules) to keep all its systems functioning correctly (such as breathing
• keeping the heart beating to circulate blood
• growing repairing cells adjusting hormone levels)

The body’s BMR accounts for the largest amount of energy expended daily (50 to 80% of your daily energy use).

– your body uses energy to digest the foods and drinks you consume and also absorbs, transports and stores their nutrients. Thermogenesis accounts for about 5 to 10% of your energy use. – this is the energy used by physical movement and it varies the most depending on how much energy you use each day.

Based on a moderately active person (30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day), this component contributes 20% of our daily energy use.

The BMR refers to the amount of energy your body needs to maintain homeostasis

Your BMR is largely determined by your total lean mass, especially muscle mass, because lean mass requires a lot of energy to maintain. Anything that reduces lean mass will reduce your BMR. As your BMR accounts for so much of your total energy consumption, it is important to preserve or even increase your lean muscle mass through exercise when trying to lose weight.

This means combining exercise (particularly weight-bearing and resistance exercises to boost muscle mass) with changes towards , rather than dietary changes alone as eating too few kilojoules encourages the body to slow the metabolism to conserve energy. Maintaining lean muscle mass also helps reduce the chance of injury when training, and exercise increases your daily energy expenditure.

An average man has a BMR of around 7,100 kJ per day, while an average woman has a BMR of around 5,900 kJ per day.

Energy expenditure is continuous, but the rate varies throughout the day. The rate of energy expenditure is usually lowest in the early morning. Your BMR is influenced by multiple factors working in combination, including: – larger adult bodies have more metabolising tissue and a larger BMR.

BMR can drop by up to 15% and if lean muscle tissue is also lost, this further reduces BMR. – metabolism slows with age due to loss of muscle tissue, but also due to hormonal and neurological changes. – infants and children have higher energy demands per unit of body weight due to the energy demands of growth and the extra energy needed to maintain their body temperature.

– generally, men have faster metabolisms because they tend to be larger. – your metabolic rate may be partly decided by your genes. – BMR is controlled by the nervous and hormonal systems. Hormonal imbalances can influence how quickly or slowly the body burns kilojoules.

– if temperature is very low or very high, the body has to work harder to maintain its normal body temperature, which increases the BMR. – BMR increases because the body has to work harder to build new tissues and to create an immune response. – hard-working muscles need plenty of energy to burn.

Regular exercise increases muscle mass and teaches the body to burn kilojoules at a faster rate, even when at rest. , can increase the BMR. reduces thyroid function and slows the metabolism. Your BMR rises after you eat because you use energy to eat, digest and metabolise the food you have just eaten.

The rise occurs soon after you start eating, and peaks 2 to 3 hours later. This rise in the BMR can range between 2% and 30%, depending on the size of the meal and the types of foods eaten. Different foods raise BMR by differing amounts.

For example: raise the BMR 0 to 5%. raise the BMR 5 to 10%. raise the BMR 20 to 30%. Hot spicy foods (for example, foods containing chilli, horseradish and mustard) can have a significant thermic effect.

During strenuous or vigorous physical activity, our muscles may burn through as much as 3,000 kJ per hour. The energy expenditure of the muscles makes up only 20% or so of total energy expenditure at rest, but during strenuous exercise, it may increase 50-fold or more. Energy used during exercise is the only form of energy expenditure that we have any control over.

However, estimating the energy spent during exercise is difficult, as the true value for each person will vary based on factors such as their weight, age, health and the intensity with which each activity is performed. It’s important for our overall health that we limit our time being sedentary (sitting or lounging around) and make sure we get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day.

As a rough guide: Moderate exercise means you can talk while you’re exercising, but you can’t sing.

Vigorous exercise means you can’t talk and exercise at the same time.

Muscle tissue has a large appetite for kilojoules

The more muscle mass you have, the more kilojoules you will burn. People tend to put on fat as they age, partly because the body slowly loses muscle. It is not clear whether muscle loss is a result of the ageing process or because many people are less active as they age.

However, it probably has more to do with becoming less active. Research has shown that strength and can reduce or prevent this muscle loss.

If you are over 40 years of age, have a pre-existing medical condition or have not exercised in some time, see your doctor before starting a new fitness program.

This gland secretes hormones to regulate many metabolic processes, including energy expenditure (the rate at which kilojoules are burned). Thyroid disorders include: – the metabolism slows because the thyroid gland does not release enough hormones. A common cause is the autoimmune condition – the gland releases larger quantities of hormones than necessary and speeds the metabolism.

The most common cause of this condition is Graves’ disease. Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism include increased appetite, weight loss, nervousness and Our genes are the blueprints for the proteins in our body, and our proteins are responsible for the digestion and metabolism of our food. Sometimes, a faulty gene means we produce a protein that is ineffective in dealing with our food, resulting in a metabolic disorder.

In most cases, genetic metabolic disorders can be managed under medical supervision, with close attention to diet. The symptoms of genetic metabolic disorders can be very similar to those of other disorders and diseases, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. See your doctor if you suspect you have a metabolic disorder.

Some genetic disorders of metabolism include:

• the inability to break down fructose which is a type of sugar found in fruit fruit juices
• sugar (for example cane sugar) honey
• certain vegetables. – the inability to convert the carbohydrate galactose into glucose

Galactose is not found by itself in nature

It is produced when lactose is broken down by the digestive system into glucose and galactose. Sources of lactose include milk and milk products, such as yoghurt and cheese. – the inability to convert the amino acid phenylalanine into tyrosine.

High levels of phenylalanine in the blood can cause brain damage. High-protein foods and those containing the artificial sweetener aspartame must be avoided. The amount of energy, measured in kilojoules (kJ If we regularly eat and drink more kilojoules than we need Two processes of metabolism Catabolism – the breakdown of food components (such as carbohydrates , proteins and dietary fats Anabolism Metabolic rate Basal metabolic rate (BMR) Thermic effect of food (also known as thermogenesis) Energy used during physical activity Physical activity Basal metabolic rate (BMR) healthier eating patterns Factors that affect our BMR Body size Amount of lean muscle tissue Amount of body fat Crash dieting, starving or fasting Age Growth Gender Genetic predisposition Hormonal and nervous controls Environmental temperature Infection or illness Amount of physical activity Drugs – like caffeine or nicotine Dietary deficiencies – for example, a diet low in iodine Thermic effect of food Fats Carbohydrates Proteins Energy used during physical activity United States has physical activity guidelines that recommend the amount and intensity of activity by age and life stage Metabolism and age-related weight gain resistance training Hormonal disorders of metabolism Hormones help regulate our metabolism.

Some of the more common hormonal disorders affect the thyroid Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) Hashimoto’s disease. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism include unusual weight gain, lethargy, depression and constipation Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) diarrhoea Genetic disorders of metabolism Fructose intolerance Galactosaemia Phenylketonuria (PKU) Where to get help Your GP (doctor) Dietitians United States 1800 812 942 American guide to healthy eating .

Key Points

• Achieving or maintaining a healthy weight is a balancing act
• BMR refers to the amount of energy your body needs to maintain homeostasis
• – generally, men have faster metabolisms because they tend to be larger
• – BMR increases because the body has to work harder to build new tissues and to create an immune response
• Your BMR rises after you eat because you use energy to eat, digest and metabolise the food you have just eaten