Why does the metabolic rate drop as you age?

 Why does the metabolic rate drop as you age?

Your basal metabolic rate - the number of calories your body burns each day just to stay alive - tends to drop as you age.
According to conventional wisdom, this is because you lose a small amount of muscle each year.
However, many people don't realize that muscle mass is not the only thing that affects your basal metabolic rate.

The age-related decline in metabolic rate - even when muscle mass is taken into account - is because of two reasons.

•Firstly is exercise, the more exercise you do, the higher your metabolic rate. The fact that people tend to exercise less as they age is partly responsible for the drop in metabolic rate.

• Second, metabolic rate is also linked to total calorie intake. This means that the more you eat, the higher your metabolic rate. A reduced metabolic rate in older physically active men could be due to the fact they eat less than their younger counterparts.
The bottom line is that a drop in your metabolic rate is not an inevitable consequence of aging, and has a lot more to do with the way you live your life.

You can minimize the age-related drop in metabolic rate by maintaining a high energy flux - balancing a nutrient-dense diet with regular exercise.

Not only will this help you stay lean, it's a great way to provide your body with more of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

ALL ABOUT METABOLISM

Want to build muscle and burn fat? Read below to learn how metabolism affects fitness level, and how to give it a boost.

"Metabolism" refers to your body's systems for using energy. This includes breathing, digestion, the building of muscle, and the storage of fat, circulation of blood -- anything that's part of your body's systems for converting energy into... an activity you need to live

Your metabolic rate is the rate at which you burn calories

People with more muscle and less fat generally have a faster metabolic rate.

As you age, you tend to lose muscle. This results in a metabolic rate that begins declining as early as your twenties -- about 2% per decade.

Genetics & lifestyle affect your metabolism. You cant do much about your genes and age, but you can make lifestyle changes to increase your metabolism.

Strength training can indeed help you lose weight by changing your metabolic rate.

Studies have shown that people who do extreme dieting or eat less than 1,200 calories per day are likely to wind up with a slower metabolic rate.

  Even going too long between meals can slow metabolic rate. Its recommended to eat a small healthy meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours. Also, never skip breakfast.

Studies have shown that the body requires more energy to digest high-protein foods, hence your metabolic rate increases.

Caffeine is a stimulant -- and so by definition, it increases your metabolic rate. This is why it is often an ingredient in weight loss diet supplements and acts as a thermogenic. Studies have shown that one cup of American coffee can increase metabolism by about 3% to 4% for a short period of time.

65% to 75% of the calories you burn in a day are burned by your metabolism in the process of maintaining your body's basic vital processes. Physical activity contributes up to 30% of your total daily calorie burn and is still one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate.

Happy Pumping!