Eating right and getting enough exercise is crucial to a healthy life. How exactly do these components contribute to a healthier life? The answer lies in the role of the human metabolism.
The term metabolism encompasses all the bodily processes necessary for maintaining a cell’s life. The sustainable growth and recovery of all human cells rely on the individual’s rate of metabolism.
The most widely accepted definition of metabolism, however, is the rate at which calories are burned in a person’s body to sustain it throughout the day. For this fact, the improvement of one’s metabolism is often times the first step towards losing weight.
However, what components go into a person’s metabolism? The first determinant of a person’s metabolic rate comes from that of their parents.
“When I think of metabolism, I think of how fast my stomach digests food,” senior Yanira Guerra said. “I have a fast metabolism and I think it comes from my dad who also has a fast metabolism.”
Indeed, metabolism is hereditary and is often passed on through generations. This does not mean individuals have no say in how “fast” their metabolism is.
There are countless numbers of ways a person can positively influence their metabolism. Two very important criteria to keep in mind when trying to improve metabolism are the choices of food a person consumes and the amount of exercise he/she gets.
Eating a proper amount of calories is both vital to maintaining one’s activity level throughout the day and preventing unwanted weight changes. If a person consumes more calories than they can burn, the excess calories are stored as fat in the body.
Corresponding with healthy eating is exercising regularly. Staying active assists in burning calories and promotes muscle growth. Muscles require more calories to maintain than fat. What would be considered excess calories for a less active person, might be needed to fuel someone who exercised more. This burning of excess calories equates to a lower chance of gaining unwanted weight.
“I keep my metabolism healthy by eating well balanced meals and participating in activities like the marching band,” sophomore Thomas White said.
Metabolism is simple to maintain, however it can be just as easy to throw off a body’s metabolic processes.
A problem for many high school students is the amount of sleep they get each night. Not having enough sleep is also detrimental to one’s metabolism.
“Teens are hardwired to stay up late but they cannot function without eight to ten hours of sleep,” health teacher Gabriel Romano said. “When you don’t get enough sleep, you gain weight.”
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine medical journal, sleeping for only four hours over a range of four consecutive days is enough to alter the sleeper’s metabolism. In addition to disrupting one’s metabolism, the lack of sleep can also make someone more resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance may foreshadow future weight gains or severe health conditions such as diabetes.
Age also influences the metabolism’s speed. Muscle deteriorates as an individual grows older. Without the additional muscle, less calories are naturally burned, resulting in a slower metabolism.
Staying fit is not rocket science. With basic knowledge of one’s metabolism, living a healthy life may not be so hard after all.
