Can you boost metabolism?
 

I'm participating in a research study where yesterday they calculated the amount of calories my body burns at rest by having me breathe into a little helmet-tent, and then measuring the amount of carbon dioxide.

According to the research nurse, someone of my height and weight should require about 1750 calories a day just to keep the vital organs going. My test results, though, indicate that I only burn about 1430 calories a day resting. (And, I'm not in starvation mode. I don't eat a lot, but I eat fine.)

In a way, I'm a marvel of evolution, since my body is geared to get by on fewer calories. On the other hand, I'd rather burn a few more so I can lose 5 or have a little ice cream. Can you boost metabolism naturally (no caffeine or energy supplements)? Fartlek training maybe?

Drink ice water.
It takes quite a few calories to warm water up to 98.6 from, say, 35.

tell us what you find. I heard exercise helps one burn extra calories. As far as boosting your natural burn, we'd have to inquire with the physicians on board.

aren't you fairly athletic? I would have expected you too burn more than that. Weren't you going out and running in the freezing cold? or was that someone else. Maybe your metabolism said screw this and is taking the year off. I would if you made be go out and run in the cold.

It seems to me the more active you are the more your base metabolism rises, because your body gets conditioned to burning calories and just keeps on doing it even when you stop activity. maybe their methods for measurements aren't really as good as they thought they were and you use your oxygen more efficiently and thus skew the results.

You are pretty skinny and don't have a ton of lean muscle mass. Put on more muscle and you will boost your metabolism.

ISn't that different? You are suggesting he add mass to increase the amount of calories consumed. He is asking abotu increasing his metabolic rate (the set point theory stuff) as I understand it. Adding muscle will clearly allow consumption of more claories. Changing the metabolic rate is iffy, based on what I have read.

I didn't say my opinion was scientific. It was just my opinion. Add muscle mass, increase metabolism.

LOL.

I don't know if I would call myself "althletic," but I do run a lot and am in very good cardiovascular shape (resting heart-rate is around 50). That's why I was so stumped.

Mike hit upon something I had forgotten. Adding muscle mass will increase caloric burn.

I've heard a meth addiction will raise your metabolism substantially. If you're ok with paranoia, hallucinations, aggression and open sores, you could try that.

whilke a good thing, that doesn't up the metabolism.

I don't really understand what metabolism actually is, so you're probably correct.

That doesn't sound too bad. It might actually improve my appearance and disposition.

Changing the number of calories your body burns at rest, and increasing metabolism, are two different things, IMO.

If you want to "lose 5 or maybe have a little ice cream", you simply need to increase the number of calories you burn each day while maintaining your current calorie intake (if that makes sense).


I believe it's normal for a fit person to burn fewer calories at rest than is average, due to the natural decreased heart-rate and other streamlining effects of being fit...

Fit people burn less calories resting because their bodies are more efficient?

I always thought increasing your muscle mass increases you metabolism as well. Muscle, I thought, required more calories to maintain than fat.

Certainly, at rest a fit person's heart-rate can regularly be as much as half that of an unfit person. IIRC, the heart is the biggest at-rest calorie burner in the body.


Absolutely, many places claim muscle burns more calories than fat. It stands to reason that at rest, muscle burns few calories, and the difference is marginal.

Then again, I may be completely wrong...

Here's a pretty good list of ways to boost metabolism. Note that it says you should INCREASE caloric intake (obviously depending on your current level).

Another common thing to boost the burn is to drink lots of water.

Here's a study that concludes that "...weight training induces a significant increase in average daily metabolic rate."

http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/82/1/298

I think a better study would be to have the control group spend an equivalent amount of time on aerobic activities. Interesting study though.