It’s been pretty easy to blame those extra pounds on a dwindling metabolism as we age. But thanks to new findings published in Science, most of us will be looking for a new scapegoat.

 

Age, as it turns out, isn’t the problem.

 

The study showed that while our metabolism peaks at age 1—babies burn calories 50% faster than the rest of us—it declines steadily until we hit 20, and then plateaus until we reach 60.

 

While the researchers involved in the study adjusted it to factor in muscle mass—which burns more calories than fat—and body size—because big people burn more calories than smaller people—the findings were pretty clear: “metabolic rate is really stable all through adult life.”

 

So, if we can’t blame that expanding waistline on our age, what can we blame it on?

 

Lifestyle, as it turns out. While your baseline metabolic rate stays the same until you get into your 60s, the factors that impact your active metabolism are ever changing. And that’s good news—because the four lifestyle factors wreaking havoc on your metabolism are all within your control.

 

Read on to find out the four steps you can take to get that metabolism firing just like it was when you were 20—according to science.

 

About the study

 

Herman Pontzer, study author and associate professor at Duke University, and more than 70 of his peers studied a database of 6,400 people up to August 2021. The samples—all aged between 8 days and 95 years—participated in “doubly labeled water” tests in 29 countries.

 

The tests required the subjects to drink water where some of the hydrogen and oxygen was replaced with traceable isotopes. Tracking these isotopes through urine testing allowed researchers to calculate precisely how many calories each individual burned in a given day.

 

The study challenged everything we thought we knew about metabolism. Across such large data sets, results showed no upwards tick in metabolic rate in teens, or during pregnancy. Surprisingly, it turns out menopause doesn’t impact metabolism, either. And finally, there’s not that big a difference in the metabolic rate of men and women of the same size.

 

#1. Get active

 

In addition to all the other risks of a sedentary lifestyle, it also reduces fat metabolism in our bodies. Fat metabolism—where fat is the fuel being burned to keep your body functioning—relies on physical activity across the day.

 

Make sure you are following a well rounded routine. Not just cardio, but strength training is a must!

 

#2. Get rested

 

Good sleep hygiene is the key to many facets of ongoing health and wellness. It helps support recovery and cell regeneration. It improves focus. It reduces the risk of physical injury.

 

And depriving yourself of it—even in the short term—can massively impact your metabolism. In the Journal of Lipid Research, Pennsylvania State researchers were able to show that even a few days of sleep deprivation changed the way the human body metabolizes food.

 

The solution: learn to sleep like a pro. The American Sleep Association recommends:

Setting a sleep routine

Avoiding naps

Eliminating mobile devices and TV in the bedroom

Keeping your bedroom cool and quiet

Avoiding caffeine before bed

 

#3. Understand how to fuel your body

 

After we eat, our metabolism increases temporarily to process the food we’ve consumed. This short-term boost—the thermic effect of food (TEF)—can work in our favor.

 

By eating protein-rich meals (between 25% and 81% protein) we can boost our metabolism higher—up to 30% higher than through eating carbohydrates. Eating enough protein has the added benefit of protecting the body from muscle loss.

 

#4. Stay hydrated

 

If there’s one thing you can do for your body right now to help it out, it’s drinking water. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report delivers a pretty extensive list of its benefits, and here are just a few:

Carrying oxygen to your cells

Flushing bacteria and toxins

Aiding digestion

Protecting organs and tissues

Regulating body temperature

 

 

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 Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist, Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach 

Owner, Results Performance Training

 

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