Discover the key factors affecting your metabolic rate and learn how different types of exercise can help improve it. Boost your metabolism today!

Key Takeaways

• The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a measure of how many calories your body burns when it's at rest.
• Muscle mass plays a vital role in boosting your BMR, and exercise is a potent tool for improving both.
• Resistance training is highly effective in increasing muscle mass, thus enhancing your metabolic health.
• Timing your exercise can make a difference in improving your metabolic rate.
• Consistency and a gradual increase in exercise intensity can help you sustain metabolic health benefits.

If you're wondering how to boost your metabolism and achieve optimal metabolic health, you're not alone. A fast metabolism is important for burning calories and staying healthy. It's the powerhouse that drives our body's energy consumption, supports cellular activities and even aids in the effective functioning of various physiological processes.

A well-regulated metabolic rate is often linked with improved weight loss and management, increased energy levels throughout the day and decreased risks of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Just as a car runs best with a well-tuned engine, a body performs optimally when its metabolism is in balance. This balance, as we will discover, can be achieved and maintained through regular and purposeful exercise.

What is metabolic rate?

Metabolic rate, also known as BMR, is how fast your body uses energy or burns calories when you're not active. This represents the energy required to maintain essential body functions like breathing, circulation and cell production.

A higher BMR implies that your body uses more energy, even in its resting state, which is generally viewed as beneficial for weight management and overall health.

The role of insulin in metabolic processes

Insulin is a pivotal hormone in our metabolic system, orchestrating how our body uses and stores energy. Let’s delve deeper into its multifaceted roles:

1. Glucose uptake: After you eat, the carbohydrates in your food are broken down into glucose. This glucose enters your bloodstream and needs to be transported into cells to provide energy. Insulin acts as the "key", allowing glucose to enter and be used by cells.
2. Glycogen synthesis: When there's more glucose than the body needs immediately, insulin aids in converting the excess glucose into glycogen, a storage form of energy in the liver and muscles. This stored glycogen can be converted back to glucose when the body needs it.
3. Fat storage: If the glucose level remains high even after filling glycogen stores, insulin promotes the storage of excess glucose as fat. This mechanism ensures energy availability during times when food might be scarce.
4. Protein synthesis: Beyond sugar, insulin also has a role in protein metabolism. It promotes amino acid uptake by muscle cells and supports protein synthesis, which is vital for muscle repair and growth.
5. Inhibition of gluconeogenesis: Insulin helps regulate blood sugar by inhibiting the liver from making glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.

It's worth noting that while insulin is vital for these metabolic processes, an imbalance can lead to issues.

Insulin resistance, where cells don't respond to insulin effectively, can result in higher blood sugar levels. Over time, this can progress to conditions like type 2 diabetes. Therefore, maintaining a balanced metabolic rate and understanding the role of insulin are crucial for overall health.

What is muscle mass?

Muscle mass is a component of your body composition that comprises muscle tissue. It plays an essential role in various physiological activities, most notably energy consumption. Muscle tissue, especially the skeletal type, is responsible for generating the force needed for movement, maintaining posture and supporting vital bodily functions.

Muscle tissue processes energy in the following ways:

ATP production

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the primary energy currency of cells. Muscles store a small amount of ATP, which is used instantly when a muscle contracts. However, this stored ATP lasts for only a few seconds, so muscles need to continuously produce more.

Phosphocreatine system

After the initial ATP is used up, muscles turn to another chemical compound, phosphocreatine (PCr), which can regenerate ATP rapidly. This system provides energy quickly but is exhausted within 10 to 15 seconds of high-intensity effort.

Glycolysis

As a next step, muscles break down glucose (from carbohydrates) or glycogen (stored form of glucose in muscles) to produce ATP. This process can function either with or without oxygen, producing energy for short-term, high-intensity activities.

Oxidative system

For longer-duration activities, muscles use the oxidative system. Here, carbohydrates, fats, and even proteins are broken down with the help of oxygen to produce ATP.

Maintaining healthy muscle mass

The continuous production and use of ATP in various physiological processes underlines the muscle's role in energy consumption and metabolism. The more active the muscle tissue, the higher the metabolic rate, as muscles require more energy even at rest.

To maintain and even increase muscle mass, consider the following:

• Resistance and strength training
• Adequate protein intake
• Staying hydrated
• Rest and recovery
• Consistent activity

Exercise and metabolic health

Physical activity, particularly resistance training, is highly effective in fat burning, which is critical to enhancing BMR and resting metabolic rate, which is the total amount of energy or additional calories your body burns while at rest, according to recent Australian research. This is because exercise helps you build muscle mass, which increases the number of calories your body burns at rest.

A study showed that a combination of aerobic and resistance training could increase your metabolic rate significantly.

Although men naturally have a higher BMR than women due to their larger muscle mass, women can also increase their BMR through consistent exercise. The same goes for older individuals compared to their younger counterparts. In fact, even if you're not doing high-intensity workouts, staying active through walking, stretching or low-impact exercises helps maintain muscle mass, especially as one ages.

Types of exercise to increase metabolic rate

Boosting muscle mass is a surefire way to enhance your basal metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest, directly answering the query: "does exercise increase basal metabolic rate?"

Below are 10 types of exercises that not only increase muscle mass but can also elevate your exercise metabolic rate.

1. Weight lifting

This is one of the most traditional and effective ways to increase muscle mass. It involves using weights, such as dumbbells or barbells, to challenge and build muscle strength and endurance.

2. Weighted machines

These are typically found in gyms and fitness centres. They target specific muscle groups and provide resistance through weighted stacks, helping to isolate and build those muscles.

3. Resistance bands

A versatile and portable option, resistance bands offer tension and resistance as you stretch them. They can be used to replicate many weight-based exercises and are excellent for progressive resistance training.

4. Free weights

Unlike machines, free weights, like dumbbells and kettlebells, don't restrict movement to a specific path, thereby recruiting more stabilising muscles and enhancing muscle coordination.

5. Reformer Pilates

Using a reformer machine, this type of Pilates challenges your muscles with resistance from springs. It not only increases muscle mass but also improves flexibility, balance, and posture.

6. Bodyweight exercises

Push-ups, squats, lunges and pull-ups use your body weight as resistance. These exercises are versatile, require no equipment, and can be intensified with variations.

7. Functional training

This focuses on training the body for activities performed in daily life. Using tools like kettlebells, medicine balls, or even one's own body weight, it improves muscle strength, stability and mobility.

8. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

A combination of short bursts of high-intensity exercises followed by rest or low-intensity periods, HIIT not only boosts muscle growth but also significantly elevates the exercise metabolic rate. This makes your body burn more calories post-workout.

9. Compound movements

Exercises like deadlifts, bench presses and squats involve multiple joints and muscle groups. They are excellent for building muscle mass quickly and increasing overall strength.

10. Circuit training

This is a combination of strength and aerobic exercises done in a sequence with little to no rest in between. It's an excellent way to build muscle while also improving cardiovascular health.

It's important to remember the role of consistency and progression in any type of exercise. Gradually increasing the intensity, volume or resistance of exercises ensures that muscles continue to grow and adapt, subsequently raising both your muscle mass and exercise metabolic rate. According to research, doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily is sufficient to enhance physical and mental health. This level of activity also decreases the risk of chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes.

To make your journey easier, consider using Vively, the metabolic health app. With features designed to help you improve your glucose control, Vively can be a valuable companion on your path to optimal metabolic health.