The world has been increasingly conscious about fitness and what is directly related to individual fitness is one’s metabolism rate. While the common conception is that the athletic ones with chiseled abs have been termed as the ones with a high metabolism rate and this number is a dream for many who are on the plump side, many sources on the internet and fitness experts have also emerged with their own theories of metabolism. Unfortunately, the world has believed these myths for many decades now. However, recent researches have proved that many of our metabolism beliefs are myths and it’s high time many of us learn the truth. Here are 19 facts or rather a sneak peek at the myths you believed about metabolism all these years. While many of these might be a pleasant surprise to you, a few might also leave you gasping.
1. Metabolism Rate Depends On Lifestyle
Metabolism rate can vary depending on various lifestyle factors, such as sleep. Inadequate sleep would dampen your plans of shedding weight. A good eight hours of snooze increases the chances of shedding weight by around 14.9 %, while sleeping for merely 4-5 hours brings down the probability of a healthy weight loss to around 3%. Hence, it’s better not to be a night owl and slip under the sheets as early as possible.
Photo Credit http://www.playbuzz.com/tarunb10/which-college-do-you-really-belong-to
2. A Skinny Or Plump Body Doesn’t Determine Metabolism Rate
Every human on this planet has a unique metabolism rate and it has nothing do with one’s size. It is a widely believed myth that a fat person has a lower metabolism rate and a slim person is judged for having an incredible metabolism rate. The possibility is that the skinny person has the perfect balance between a good diet as well as physical activities such as walking, cycling or any other form of cardio. Skinny people have very little fat content in their body and more muscle, which is an important reason why they have a higher metabolism rate. Perhaps that’s why that pencil thin friend of yours doesn’t beef up even after feasting on a lot of food.
Photo Credit http://dailyoftheday.com/implicit-association-test-do-you-prefer-fat-or-thin-people/
3. Metabolism Can Be Influenced
As mentioned earlier, the body of every individual has its own metabolism rate and is dissimilar to others. However, the rate of metabolism can be influenced by various factors, such as lifestyle, stress, adequate sleep and even physical activities such as walking, swimming or even an exhaustive exercise session.
Photo Credit http://scub.unibz.it/?page_id=557
4. More Muscular, Higher The Metabolism
Toning your biceps and pectorals not only lends you a chiseled look, but also help in shedding those unwanted ounces of fat. Yes, lifting weights help in burning at least 15 calories for each strenuous workout for a single muscle.
Photo Credit http://www.topz10s.com/2013/08
5. Exercise Enhances Metabolism
Perhaps, this is the reason why many around the world hit the gym to shed those extra pounds. Keeping yourself engaged in lifting heavy weights help in converting fat into rippling muscles and thus burn calories. It is better to indulge in a highly intense 25-minute workout regime, rather than stick to a relaxed 45-minute session which involves a lot of breaks between the exercises.
Photo Credit http://portugese.fansshare.com/gallery/photos/13841643/weight-lifting-quotes-wallpaper-hd-gym-monochrome-sports-weight-lifting-muscle-fitness-wallpaper-cool/?displaying
6. Protein Within Half An Hour Of Workout
During a strenuous workout, the body loses a lot of calories and at the same time it also breaks the muscle tissues. Hence, the body needs sufficient amount of protein intake after a weight training session to compensate for the lost calories. Hence, consuming protein in the form of a shake helps in replenishing the body with a sufficient amount of nutrients. However, it needs to be consumed within 30-minutes post a rigorous iron pumping session.
Photo Credit http://www.naturallyintense.net/blog/diet/nutrition/are-protein-shakes-bad-for-you-and-do-they-work/
7. Protein Builds Muscle And Carbs Lessen Fat
Food rich in Carbohydrates, mainly rice carry way too many calories, which might accumulate as fat in the body. If you want to keep your body lean, muscular and prevent the formation of flab, feasting on protein rich food helps a great deal.
Photo Credit http://www.mbc.net/ar/programs/men-al-qalb/articles/
8. Six Meals Per Day Is Not Better Than 3 Meals
Many sources suggest that consuming food in smaller amounts, six times a day helps in achieving a higher metabolism rate, but it is proved that this is just a myth. Metabolism rate is dependent on the number of calories consumed per day. Hence, consuming three heavy meals is no different from having six smaller meals every day if the number of calories consumed is just the same.
Photo Credit http://www.anazahra.com/women-society/community-photos/
9. Chilli Peppers & Green Tea Don’t Boost Metabolism
Many believe that munching a dozen red hot Chillies and gulping green tea will help burn calories faster. Well, it might yield results that are short lived but don’t help you in shedding calories to the desired extent. Instead of trying your luck with food which may not boost the metabolism rate, it is best to indulge in some form of physical activity.
Photo Credit http://www.xueweijiema.com/jianfei/289.html
10. Coffee Before Workout
According to a few sources, beverages containing Caffeine as the primary ingredient helps in increasing the metabolism rate to a certain extent. In addition, Coffee also preserves the muscles and helps in increasing memory power.
Photo Credit http://www.wowbiz.ro/cum-sa-faci-sa-obtii-efectul-maxim-al-cafelei-baute-dimineata_155982.html
11. ‘Fast Metabolism’ Doesn’t Exist
For heaven’s sake, if any source claims of such astonishing metabolism rates, it’s just a myth. To increase the metabolism rate, one has to partake in rigorous exercise regimes.
Photo Credit http://faizalfairuz.com/fuh-cukupkah-kita-bakar-kalori-dalam-sehari/
12. Metabolism is Different in Men And Women
You might find it hard to digest but yes, men and women are genetically designed to have a different metabolism behavior. It is said that while they are asleep, women burn more carbs out of their body and less amount of fat, as compared to men.
Photo Credit http://jonesandb.com/2013/09/25/you-guys-really/
13. Thyroid Affects Metabolism
An individual’s metabolism rate is also greatly dependent on the functionality of their thyroid glands. Abnormal or low activity of the thyroid gland, hypothyroidism results in rapid weight gain and obesity. Those who are extremely skinny and seem like they suffer from malnutrition, may be victims of a hyperactive thyroid gland which increases the metabolism of the individual.
Photo Credit http://www.techtimes.com/articles/15404/20140912/fat-shaming-obese-people-harmful-good-study.htm
14. Water Can Influence Metabolism
The benefits of keeping yourself hydrated with beverages such as water are immense. Not only does it cleanse the system and help in detoxification but greatly helps in the increase of metabolism rate. For better results, consumption of cold water is helpful since the body burns calories to bring it down to room temperature.
Photo Credit http://www.mansharamani.com/so-what/how-i-consumed-6373-gallons-of-water-in-one-day/attachment/drinking-water/
15. Weight Loss At A Slow Pace is Healthy
If you are really thrilled about losing too many kilos within a short period of time that isn’t because your metabolism rate has sky-rocketed. The reasons could be health issues like stress, anxiety and depression. It is always healthy to lose a few pounds in a couple of weeks, rather than expect flab to vanish overnight.
Photo Credit http://kidneysdisease.com/dry-weight-and-hemodialysis-patient/
16. Metabolism Doesn’t Slow Down Drastically With Age
Of course, the body isn’t at its best shape and not at the peak of its strength, metabolism rate slows down too, but it’s not as drastic as you imagine. Formation of flab in the body gets too rampant after a certain age, something which is unavoidable. Being health conscious and exercising regularly should help in keeping one fit.
Photo Credit http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/11/exercise-over-65
17. Late Night Eating Doesn’t Affect Metabolism
Many believe that food consumed after sunset, precisely 7 PM settles down as fat in the body, but a few researches have proved that this belief is untrue. Metabolism has nothing to do with what time of the day you eat, just like how the mileage of your car isn’t dependent on the time you fuel the tank.
Photo Credit http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/does-eating-late-cause-weight-gaintabolism
18. One Dish Alone Doesn’t Add Fat
Have your family and peers asked you to avoid pasta and other dishes, which are considered ‘fattening’. While these foods might be rich, but ultimately it all boils down to the total number of calories one has consumed in a day. You can eat anything under the sun as long as it doesn’t exceed your calorie intake limit.
Photo Credit http://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/pasta-night-3
19. Dieting Helps In Burning Off The Calories
Many resort to this method to reduce weight, but the truth is that the metabolism rate actually decreases the more you starve. It is always advised to eat light but enough to keep the hunger pangs away.
Photo Credit http://foodtherapyonline.com/services/individual-nutrition-counseling/
