The word ‘metabolism’ can be used to describe your basal metabolic rate. That is, the number of calories you burn at rest to maintain vital functions such as heart rate, breathing, and circulation.
It is also used to refer to all the biochemical reactions in your body. This refers to the conversion of nutrients from consumed food into energy, also called thermogenesis.
Divers facteurs influencent votre taux métabolique : âge, sexe, taille, composition corporelle. Plus nous avançons en âge, plus il a tendance à ralentir.
Good to know, a slow metabolism can be caused by too little muscle mass. Muscle burns the most energy at rest, unlike fat mass.
I’m sharing with you the best strategies to boost your metabolism. With certain foods and lifestyle habits, you can manage your weight, stabilize it, or lose weight depending on your goals. And, of course, improve your overall health.
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1. Stay well hydrated: water, teas, and coffee
Besides being essential for the body, water participates in the activation of metabolism. Drinking enough water has a short but non-negligible effect. About 2L of water per day is recommended, varying according to your weight (and your metabolism, of course!).
Other beverages can specifically boost metabolism, such as coffee. The caffeine it contains slightly improves physical performance, depending on individual tolerances, and helps better use fats to produce energy, as suggested by this study.
I particularly recommend green tea, rich in catechins and theine, matcha or oolong.
According to this study, these three teas may help with a better burning of stored fat. Consuming 1 to 3 cups per day, combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
2. Eat protein at every meal
Manger peut temporairement augmenter votre métabolisme, et cela pendant quelques heures. C’est ce qu’on appelle l’effet thermique des aliments (ou TEF).
The body expends additional calories required for digestion, absorption and processing of the nutrients from your meal.
Among all nutrients, proteins are the most demanding. The body uses 15 to 30% of their usable calories, compared with 5 to 10% for carbohydrates and less than 3% for fats.
Manger plus de protéines peut également prévenir la diminution du métabolisme grâce au maintien de la masse musculaire qu’elles favorisent. Lors d’un régime amincissant elles améliorent la perte de graisse.
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3. Eat spicy foods
Ginger or even chili pepper have beneficial properties to stimulate metabolism. They are classified as thermogenic foods.
For example, if you pour 2 g of ginger powder into a glass of hot water and drink it during a meal, you can burn up to 43 extra calories.
As for the capsaicin contained in chili pepper, this study concluded that it could reduce appetite and food intake by decreasing carbohydrate absorption during meals.
A slimming tip that I give my patients whose goal is to lose weight: add 1 to 2 pinches of cayenne pepper or green jalapeño peppers for those more sensitive, and fresh or powdered ginger to your dishes.
4. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep can promote obesity and disrupt the body by affecting ghrelin levels, the hunger hormone, and leptin, which regulates satiety.
The night allows the body to regenerate, produce hormones and even detoxify itself with the liver’s nighttime activity. Disrupting the biological clock tends to slow metabolic functions, and this can happen after as few as four bad nights according to these observations.
Sleeping well therefore helps reduce the number of calories consumed during the day and boosts daytime metabolism. My advice: prioritize good restorative nights whenever possible! Some foods can also help you sleep better.
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5. Adopt HIIT to burn more calories
HIIT, high-intensity interval training, involves short, very intense bursts of activity.
It’s a perfect compromise between the two main types of exercise: aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). As a result, it leads to a high calorie expenditure.
This study suggests it may increase metabolism for several hours even after exercise. HIIT may also be more effective for fat loss than a traditional cardio session. Ideally, I recommend varying your workouts so you don’t get bored.
6. Lift heavy weights
Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, doing strength training is part of health recommendations. And indeed, it boosts basal metabolic rate.
The WHO recommends doing strength training exercises at least twice a week at moderate to high intensity, for muscle strength and size as well as bone density.
If you want to lose weight, you can do cardio and strength training exercises several times a week.
7. Stand up more often
Sitting for too long can have negative health effects, partly because of the lack of energy expenditure that can lead to weight gain.
This study conducted in 2018 found that standing or moving at work was associated with decreased cardiovascular risk, as well as reductions in weight, body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, and insulin.
It also showed that moving rather than simply standing produced even better results.
If you work while seated, stand up once an hour for about 5 minutes. You can also use breaks to walk during the day. Or invest in a Swiss ball to alternate postures with a regular chair.
8. Consume MCTs to store less fat
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are mainly found in coconut oil and palm oil, are a particular type of fat.
Unlike long-chain triglycerides, MCTs are rapidly absorbed by the body and directed to the liver. There, they are used as an immediate energy source or converted into ketones.
Their mild fat-burning effect may be useful to encourage metabolic activity. However, they should not replace daily olive oil or sources of omega-3.
Like any fat, I recommend using them in reasonable amounts. A tip: add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil when cooking your vegetable stir-fries. Or to flavor your homemade pastries.
My final tip for taking care of your metabolism: choose a comprehensive, gradual approach. Every small change contributes to your well-being; there is no single miracle solution.
Sources and scientific studies
Daniel Collado-Mateo, Ana Myriam Lavín-Pérez, Eugenio Merellano-Navarro, Juan Del Coso – Effect of Acute Caffeine Intake on the Fat Oxidation Rate during Exercise – Nutrients, 2020
R Hursel, M S Westerterp-Plantenga – Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation – Int J obes, 2010
Pardis Irandoost, Neda L.Yagin, Nazli Namazi , Abbasali Keshtkar, Farnaz Farsi, Naimeh M.Alamdari, M.V – The effect of Capsaicinoids or Capsinoids in red pepper on thermogenesis in healthy adults, 2021
Kelly M.Ness, Stephen M.Strayer, Nicole G.Nahmod, Margeaux M.S, A-M Chang, Gregory C.Shearer, Orfeu M.Buxton – Four nights of sleep restriction suppress the postprandial lipemic response and decrease satiety – 2019
M Wewege, R V.D.B, R E Ward, A Keech – The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults – Obes. Rev, 2017
Elisabeth A. H. Winkler, Sebastien Chastin, Elizabeth G.Eakin, Neville Owen, Anthony D.Lamontagne, Marj Moodie, Paddy C.Dempsey, Bronwyn A.Kingwell, David W.Dunstan and Genevieve N.Healy – Cardiometabolic impact of changing sitting, standing, and stepping in the workplace, 2018
Karen Mumme, Welma Stonehouse – Effects of medium-chain triglycerides on weight loss and body composition – J. Ac. Notre Diet, 2015
