“Rev Up” Your Metabolism

1. “Rev Up” Your Metabolism Presentation by: Cindy Sass, RD,CDE March 8, 2012

2. Objectives • Describe what metabolism is; • Discuss factors that influence metabolism; • Review common misconceptions about boosting metabolism and • Provide evidence based recommendations on how to “rev up” your metabolism.

3. Metabolism.. What is it? • Metabolism consists of the energy spent to keep the heart beating, the lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the cells conducting their activities, the nerves generating the streams of electrical impulses. • In short to keep all the processes going on that support life.

4. Metabolism.. What is it? • The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which energy is spent for these activities. • BMR is usually expressed in kilocalories per hour. • A kilocalorie (kcal) is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water, 1°C.

5. Metabolism.. What is it? • The two major contributors to energy output in humans are: • Metabolic processes • Voluntary activities • Metabolic contribution to energy expenditure accounts for at least 2/3 of the energy spent in a day.

6. Determining Metabolism • The metabolic rate is highest in the young and decreases about 2% per decade after growth has stopped. • It is higher in people with larger surface areas. • In two people who weigh the same, the taller, thinner person will have a faster metabolic rate.

7. Determining Metabolism • Metabolic rate generally is lower in older people and in females. • The key to the difference is in the amount of lean body tissue or fat free mass. • Lean tissue is more active metabolically than fat tissue even during rest.

8. Determining Metabolism • Fever increases the energy needs of cells, raising the metabolic rate by 7% for each degree Fahrenheit. • Fasting and constant malnutrition lower metabolic output.

9. Determining Metabolism • Lean muscle mass • Age • Gender – male or female • Height • Fever or stress • High thyroid gland activity

10. Estimations of Energy Output • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) • 1.0 kcal/kg/body weight/hour (Men) • 0.9 kcal/kg/body weight/hour (Women)

11. Example:Mark, 150 lbs Change pounds to kilograms: 150 lb ÷ 2.2 lb/kg = 68 kg Multiply weight in kilograms by the BMR factor: 68 x 1.0 kcal/kg/hr = 68 kcal/hr Multiply the kcal used in one hour by the hours in a day: 68 kcal/hr x 24 hr/day = 1 632 kcal/day Basal metabolic rate = 1 623 kcal per day

12. Voluntary Muscular Activity • The following are crude approximations based on the amount of muscular work a person typically does in a day. • For sedentary activity add 40-50 % of the BMR. • For light activity (a teacher) add 55-65%. • For moderate activity ( a nurse) add 65-70%. • For heavy work (a roofer) add 75 -100%.

13. Energy Spent on Various Activities kcal/kg/hour (exclusive of BMR)

14. Example:Mark a Carleton U employee • If Mark had a desk job, we could estimate the energy he needs for physical activities by multiplying his BMR kcal/day by 50%. • 1,632 kcal/day x 50% = 816 kcal/day Energy for activities equals 816 kcal/day Total for day 1 632 + 816 = 2 448 kcal/day

15. Mental Activity • Intense mental activity requires only slightly more energy than resting.

16. Question 1 • I have been a yo-yo dieter most of my life. I have lost and regained the same 50 lbs a few times now. Have I messed up my metabolism? Is there any hope for me?

17. Answer • Your metabolism is most likely slower today: • When people lose weight they not only lose fat, they lose lean body tissue as well. • When people regain weight, usually they end up with a larger body fat % and a lower lean body mass %.

18. Answer • Rx: • Add some strength training to your regime which should also include a reduction in food calories and some cardiovascular (voluntary muscular) activity. • Building lean body mass will boost your metabolism while at rest.

19. Question 2 • I have heard that certain foods are fat burning foods. Can these foods boost my metabolism?

20. Answer • Don’t fall for fat burning foods. • There are no studies that back these common myths of foods like grapefruit and celery or being fat burning foods. • Drinking cold water will not significantly boost your metabolism.

21. Question 3 • I have a friend who is taking a supplement with green tea which claims to boost metabolism, is this true?

22. Answer • There are many metabolism boosting supplements on the market today. • Bottom line – don’t waste your money! • Some popular supplements that claim to boost metabolism; • Green Tea Extract • Peppers, ginger

23. Supplements • There is limited evidence that any supplement will boost metabolism. • Green Tea extract can cause bloating, vomiting and indigestion and may contain large amounts of caffeine.

24. Question 4 • I saw a magazine ad that promotes cleansing your body of impurities by fasting a drinking a liver tonic. One of the benefits of this process was to increase metabolism. Can this help?

25. Answer • The idea that fasting or skipping meals is a great way to cleanse the system of impurities, speed metabolism and encourage weight loss is just another myth. • Denying the body of food calories can slow metabolism and encourage the storage of energy in the form of fat.

26. Question 5 • Does spicy food increase metabolism?

27. Answer • Spicy food may increase the metabolic rate slightly, but not enough to make much of a difference. • The difference may be found in the observation that people usually eat less when eating spicy food rather than bland food.

28. Question 6 • Now that I am in my 40’s I find it much harder to keep to a healthy weight. Is this because my metabolism has slowed down?

29. Answer • It is true that your metabolism slows down as you age. For every decade after growth stops your metabolism will slow down by 2%. This relates to a 4-5 % decline in your metabolism since the age of 20. This translates to 70 kcal/day. • Metabolism slows as we lose lean muscle mass.

30. Answer • It is estimated that there is a 3 % decrease in voluntary activity per decade so the total effect on your energy intake per day would be approximately 140 kcal/day. • This would translate into an extra 30 minutes walk/day of voluntary activity or a reduction in calories ( 1 bread, 2 small cookies.)

31. Question 7 • Does working out with weights really make a difference on metabolism?

32. Answer • Lean muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat mass. Muscle will burn more calories at rest. • A young woman, older woman, and older man can have as rapid a metabolism as a young man if they have the same amount of lean tissue.

33. Answer • To build lean muscle mass, aim for two sessions of strength training a week. • Strength training can include using hand weight to do bicep curls, using weight machines at the gym, calisthenics like push-ups and abdominal crunches, Pilates and some forms of yoga.

34. Strength Training • A recent study confirmed that strength training boosts metabolism and improves body composition. • The study included a group of men and women ages 61-77. • The group participated in a 3 days per week strength training program for 6 months.

35. Strength Training • After 6 months the strength training group; • Got much stronger • Lost 6 lbs of fat • Gained 4.5 pounds of lean tissue • Started participating in more leisure time activities on a regular basis • Had a 12% increase in total energy expenditure • This boost in metabolism meant that they were burning 230 kcal more per day.

36. Question 8 • Should I focus only on strength training for exercise?

37. Answer • The biggest burn of extra calories comes from voluntary activities – the more you move, the more you burn! • Running, hiking, walking, cycling, fitness classes, dancing, using cardio machines at a gym. • Ideally 4-5 times a week for 30-40 minutes each time.

38. Calories burned during exercise • Bicycling, light effort 422 calories • Golf carrying clubs 387 calories • Tennis (doubles) 422 calories • Walking dog 246 calories • Swimming, treading water 281 calories • Sailing 211 calories

39. Question 9 • Is there a way I can boost my metabolism by making better food choices?

40. Answer • The type of starches you pick may increase your metabolism. • In a study a group of dieters that were given low glycemic index foods vs. high glycemic index foods, had a small increase in their metabolism. • Low GI foods include oatmeal, legumes, all bran, stoneground bread, apples.

41. Answer • The body burns many more calories digesting protein. Protein may require almost 25% more energy to digest compared to fat. • Replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can jump-start the metabolism at mealtime. • Healthy sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

42. Question 10 • If I eat regular meals will it boost my metabolism?

43. Answer • When you eat large meals with many hours in between, you train your metabolism to slow down. • Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. • Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at meal time.

44. Summary • To Rev up your metabolism: • Build lean body tissue – engage in strength training at least 2 times a week. • Move your body – voluntary activity burn lots of calories. • Choose lean protein and low GI foods. • Eat regular meals and snacks – eat smaller meals more often.

45. Thank You!