How To Boost Metabolism Through Exercise and Nutrition

A slow metabolism is something that we all dread. Some people, like my brother for instance, can eat cheeseburgers three times a day and never gain a pound. Others, all it takes is one cheeseburger to set you back a whole WEEK with extra pounds. I’m exaggerating somewhat but the truth is that some people’s metabolisms are faster than others. If you fall into the slow category however, just remember there are ways through exercise and nutrition to speed your metabolism up significantly! Everyone — no matter how old, overweight, or out of shape — has the power to increase his or her metabolism.

Metabolism itself is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself. How fast your metabolism is depends on 3 factors:

1. The the number of calories you consume
2. The number of calories you burn while eating and exercising
3. The calories you burn based on your individual genetic makeup.

A great way to boost your metabolism through exercise is intense interval training. This type of exercise training has the ability to help your body burn calories up to 24 hours after you have finished working out. This extended post exercise calorie burning phenomenon is known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC. Another great way to turn up your metabolic heat is heavy weight lifting and strength training. Having an overall more muscular physique can boost your metabolism alone. Each extra pound of muscle you carry can burn up to 50 additional calories just to maintain itself — and with no effort on your part. Putting on just 5 to 10 pounds of lean muscle mass will rev up your resting metabolism, the number of calories your body burns to maintain life, by roughly 100 calories, each and every day.

Your Nutrition also plays an integral role in speeding your metabolism. Eating several small healthy meals a day, 2-3 hours apart is a great tool in the war against slow metabolism. Each time you eat, you stimulate your metabolism for a short period of time, which means that the more often you eat, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. Research from Georgia State University shows that people who eat every 2 to 3 hours have less body fat and faster metabolisms than those who eat only 2 or 3 meals per day. Stay away from the practice of eating 2-3 huge meals a day. This triggers a response in your body to store more fat.
Its also absolutely imperative that these several small meals a day are packed with High protein, high fiber foods to totally optimize the metabolic increase. In other words don’t eat several small meals of Junk food!
Check out some of these great food options to help you boost your metabolism:

1.Egg Whites are high in protein and amino acids which keep your metabolism revved.

2. Lean meat is full of protein and iron. Eat three to four daily servings of lean meats or other iron rich foods.

3. Capsaicin, found in hot chili peppers and various hot sauces, is a chemical compound that can kick metabolism into higher gear.

4. Green Tea contains a plant compound called EGCG, which promotes fat-burning

5. Consuming Calcium may help your body metabolize fat more efficiently

6. Whole foods that are rich in fiber, like brown rice and oatmeal help your body burn more fat because they take extra effort to break down than processed grains, like white bread and pastas.

7. Veggies like asparagus, broccoli and string beans are very rich in fiber and other daily nutrients.

8. Drink More WATER! This is a huge mistake that a lot of people make, not drinking enough water. It can easily be corrected however.


Trey Smith is a NASM certified fitness professional with numerous accomplishments and experience. Trey is an avid fitness blogger and a fitness entrepreneur, owner-operator of Smith Advanced Nutritional Enterprise (SANE) and also a certified Crossfit Level One and Basic Olympic Weightlifting Movements Osteoblast Training™. Follow Trey’s blog at www.saneweight.com