New research on metabolism from Duke University brings surprising news. Until now, it has been believed that metabolism is most efficient during adolescence, and slows down between the ages of 30 and 40, which makes it much more difficult to maintain weight. What new did scientists discover on this subject?
As it turns out, the current knowledge and views on metabolism do not have much to do with reality. Studies have shown that a slowdown in the metabolic system may not necessarily be related to age.
Metabolism research
"We wanted to understand how our bodies change throughout our lives," said study co-author Dr. Herman Pontzer, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University.
Pontzer and an international team of scientists have analyzed the average calorie consumption of more than 6,600 people aged 1 week to 95 years of age in everyday life in 29 countries around the world.
Studies to date have only measured how much energy we use to maintain vital functions such as breathing, digesting, and pumping blood - the calories we burn while staying alive, also known as our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
According to Dr. Jacqueline A. Vernarelli, director of science education and consulting at the College of He alth Professionals at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, our BMR is our "cost of living". It is energy necessary only to maintain basic physiological processes at rest.
As it turns out, BMR doesn't reflect all the calories we burn while being active because it doesn't take into account everyday activities like climbing stairs, typing, or thinking.
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What's new?
Metabolism in babies
A study found that infants have the best metabolism - in the first 12 months of life, they burn calories 50 percent faster than an adult. This is due to the fact that during the first year of life, they triple their weight on the day of birth, and for this energy is needed.
Metabolism in teenagers
After a spike in infancy, our metabolism slows down by about 3 percent each year,up to the age of 20. The researchers did not see an increase in daily caloric requirements in adolescents, even when you consider the spike in adolescence.
Middle age metabolism
We often think that when you reach middle age you can just look at food and gain weight, but it turns out not to be true.
Scientists found that energy spending between the ages of 20 and 50 was the most stable. Even during pregnancy, the woman's caloric needs were neither greater nor less than expected given the extra weight of the growing baby.
When does metabolism slow down?
The data suggests that our metabolism does not slow down significantly until we reach the age of 60. The slowdown is slightly less than 1 percent per year. It is only after you reach the age of 90 that your body needs about 25 percent fewer calories each day. Muscle loss that occurs naturally with age may be partly to blame, as muscle burns more calories than fat. As such, researchers emphasize the importance of maintaining muscle mass and exercising regularly to avoid gradual weight gain as you age.
He althy habits are key to maintaining a he althy weight over the years. The less muscle mass we have, the less metabolically active tissue in our body, which in turn reduces the amount of calories we burn each day.
Researchers emphasize that there is no magic measure to prevent weight gain - only he althy habits can help.
The bottom line is that our metabolism does not stop when we reach 30 years of age. Maintaining a he althy weight is the result of a combination of he althy behaviors, including regular physical activity, maintaining muscle mass, and restricting caloric food intake.
Research suggests that we burn calories fastest in the first year of life, adjusting to our "normal" pace by the time we are 20, and we remain so until we are 50. In addition, our caloric needs only drop by about 25 percent after reaching the age of 90.
Author
Marcelina Dzięciołowska Editor for many years associated with the medical industry. He specializes in he alth and an active lifestyle. A private passion for psychology inspires her to take up difficult topics in this field. Author of a series of interviews in the field of psycho-oncology, the aim of which is to build awareness and break stereotypes about cancer. He believes that the right mental attitude can make it workmiracles, therefore it promotes professional knowledge based on consultations with specialists.