The body burns calories when we exercise. But did you know it also burns about 60 to 75% of calories each day while we rest?
This happens because our system needs the energy to perform life-sustaining functions such as digestion, cell production, breathing, blood circulation and nutrient processing.
In other words, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the calories the body burns while performing these basic functions.
Metabolic age, on the other hand, refers to the number of calories your body burns while at rest, compared to the average BMR for people of your age group.
This means, only after calculating the metabolic age and comparing the results with the average for people in your age, can you determine whether a number too high or too low is bad for you. Otherwise, metabolic age remains relative across people of different ages.
How to calculate metabolic age
The age of your metabolism is influenced by different factors, including; weight, weight history, age, sex, diet, exercise, body composition, waist circumference and blood pressure.
Therefore, to determine your metabolic age accurately, it is best to seek the assistance of a doctor, a personal trainer or dietitian. This way you can also receive insight on ways to improve the state of your health, fitness and metabolic age if necessary.
Another way is to use online resources to get an incline of what your metabolic age could be. As calculating real metabolic age is complex, there’s no guarantee that the results will be accurate but it is worth a try.
So how do you read the results?
If your metabolic age is almost the same as your age, it means you have the same average as people of your age group.
If it happens to be lower, that’s a good sign and you have the metabolic age that people strive for. However, if your results are higher, you may want to assess your dietary habits and exercise routines.
How does metabolic age affect your health?
Research posits that even though metabolic age is not the ultimate measure of your state of health and fitness, it is a crucial health indicator.
Case in point, metabolic age focuses more on body structure and composition than weight. This means, by knowing your metabolic age, which also leads you to know your Basal Metabolic Rate or (the number of calories you are burning while at rest), you are able to make informed decisions when managing your weight, health and fitness.
As you can tell, metabolic age is not the same as metabolism. For instance, if your metabolism is slow it means you’re likely to store more fats and burn fewer calories than if your metabolism is high. Hence, you should seek ways to improve it, and one way you can do this effectively is by building muscles.
On the other hand, if your metabolic age is lower than your actual age, it means your body is good at burning calories, and you can actually reach your fitness goals faster, be stronger and healthier than a general population of your age.
How do you lower your metabolic age?
To fight an ageing metabolism start by;
- Increasing protein intake in your diet. Your body works harder and thus burns more calories when digesting protein-rich foods than when digesting fat.
- Build muscle mass to burn more fat and improve your metabolism.
- Get quality sleep. Sleeping less facilitates muscle loss which then affects the number of calories your body burns as you rest.
