Alexi
Keeping your metabolism elevated is important to help you reach your weight loss goals. When trying to lose weight some people reach a point where the number on the scale refuses to move. By incorporating these six tips to boost your metabolism it should make it easier to burn fat and achieve your ideal body weight.
1. Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most popular supplements. It is commonly found in coffee, energy drinks, and pre-workouts. In the body, caffeine acts as a stimulant which increases alertness and energy. Caffeine can also reduce fatigue and increases tolerance to pain during exercise. 3-4 This means you can really crank up the intensity in the gym leading to faster results. In one study subjects received 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (about 400 mg of caffeine for a 180 lb. person) while measuring fatigue, pain tolerance and training volume (repetitions to failure). They found fatigue and pain tolerance decreased while training volume increased. 2
2. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
This is the process of burning calories through non-exercise activity. 1 Some examples of non-exercise activity are gardening, fidgeting, or participating in extra activity when you normally would not. Another example would be if an individual takes the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Surprisingly, it has been shown that non-exercise activity may protect against weight gain. For instance, one study found that individuals who consumed an extra 1000 calories a day did not gain weight due to the increase in non-exercise activity.7
3. Sleep In A Cold Environment
In humans, there are two different types of fat: white fat and brown fat. The function of white fat is to cushion the organs and store energy. While brown fat works to burn calories by producing heat. Interestingly, it has been shown that brown fat becomes activated during exposure to cold temperatures. 8 One study examined this by exposing participants to cold temperatures and found that most individuals increased their metabolism by 80%. 11 This means an individual who lives in a colder climate may burn more calories compared to those who live in a warmer place.
4. Increase Protein Intake
Protein has many benefits. First, it can increases the feeling of fullness after a meal. 5-6 For example, compare eating a steak to a bag of pretzels. Most likely hunger will disappear after the steak but not after the pretzels. Second, protein can speed up an individual’s metabolism because it takes a lot of energy to digest protein causing more calories to be used. 5-6 Lastly, in this study subjects consumed either a high protein diet vs. moderate protein diet and found that the high protein group lost twice the amount of fat. 12
5. Perform High-Intensity Exercise
High-intensity exercise is great because it burns more calories in a shorter amount of time while preserving muscle mass.10,14 For instance, one study had assigned participants to either a high intensity vs. steady state group and found the high-intensity group lost 6 lbs. more body fat. 13 One example of high-intensity exercise would be alternating bouts of sprinting and walking lasting for a total of about 15 minutes. In detail, it would be five intervals of sprinting for one minute followed by walking for two minutes.
6. Perform Resistance Training
This is the only way to increase muscle mass. Muscles require a lot of energy to maintain. Therefore, the more muscle you carry the more calories you burn during rest. 9 To get the most out of a resistance training program aim to train every major body part at least once a week. For instance, chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, back on Wednesday, shoulders on Thursday, and arms on Friday. While Saturday and Sunday are off days.
References
1. Colley RC. Quantifying the effect of exercise on total energy expenditure in obese women. [Ph.D.]. Queensland University of Technology; 2007.
2. Duncan MJ, Oxford SW. Acute caffeine ingestion enhances performance and dampens muscle pain following resistance exercise to failure. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Fitness. 2012;52(3):280.
3. Duncan MJ, Stanley M, Parkhouse N, Cook K, Smith M. Acute caffeine ingestion enhances strength performance and reduces perceived exertion and muscle pain perception during resistance exercise. European Journal of Sport Science. 2013;13(4):392-399.
4. Graham TE. Does caffeine alter muscle carbohydrate and fat metabolism during exercise? Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism. 2008;33(6):1311; 1311-1318; 1318.
5. Halton TL. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: A critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004;23(5):373; 373-385; 385.
6. Leidy H. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. Br J Nutr. 2009;101(06):798.
7. Levine JA, Eberhardt NL, Jensen MD. Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans. Science. 1999;283(5399):212-214.
8. Lichtenbelt WD, Vanhommerig JW, Smulders NM, et al. Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360(15):1500.
9. Melby C, Scholl C, Edwards G, Bullough R. Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1993;75(4):1847-1853.
10. Mounier R, Lantier L, Leclerc J, et al. Important role for AMPKalpha1 in limiting skeletal muscle cell hypertrophy. FASEB J. 2009;23(7):2264-2273.
11. Ouellet V, Labbé SM, Blondin DP, et al. Brown adipose tissue oxidative metabolism contributes to energy expenditure during acute cold exposure in humans. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2012.
12. Skov AR, Toubro S, Ronn B, Holm L, Astrup A. Randomized trial for protein vs carbohydrate ad libitum fat reduced diet for the treatment of obesity. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 1999;23(5):528.
13. Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, Boutcher SH. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32(4):684.
14. Willis LH, Slentz CA, Bateman LA, et al. Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012;113(12):1831-1837.
