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What is the Cause of Slow Metabolism?

Every person needs energy to go about the day and continue to function correctly. To get this energy, we eat, and our body converts it into the nutrients and energy we need to survive. Your metabolism is directly related to how quickly and efficiently your body creates this energy, and if it takes too long, the food gets stored as fat. A slow metabolism will leave you with less energy and more weight than you probably desire.

  1. Basal Metabolic Rate

    • Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy your body consumes while you are resting. Even if you're sitting perfectly still with your eyes closed, your body still needs energy to operate your organs, control blood flow and allow you to remain conscious. When people say they have a slow metabolism they mean they have a slow basal metabolic rate. Increasing this number is possible through exercise and muscle building, as it takes more energy to maintain muscle than it does to maintain fat.

    Age

    • According to MetabolismAdvice.com, as you age your basal metabolic rate will lower as your body begins to deteriorate. At the age of 30 your body will stop producing the high levels of growth hormone it previously produced. Your body senses that it is done growing at 30, so it uses the resources elsewhere. Unfortunately, that means that your muscle will deteriorate more rapidly than before and it will be harder to get back. While you can't block age's effects on your metabolism, you can combat it with regular exercise that builds muscle.

    Exercise

    • Although muscle deteriorates quicker with age, a lack of exercise will hurt your metabolism at any age. The muscle developed during exercise is vital to maintaining a healthy body with a normal basal metabolic rate. Therefore, while cardiovascular exercise will burn fat during the work out, building muscle will wisely allow your body to use more calories to give you healthy energy instead of stored fat.

    Eating Habits

    • Another large factor that determines your basal metabolic rate is your eating habits. MetabolismAdvice.com suggests eating small meals every two to three hours instead of three larger ones spread throughout the day. This will make sure that your metabolism is constantly working throughout your day. Another large factor is how healthily you eat. Taking in the required calories for your amount of daily activity will help keep your metabolism from lowering, but taking in too many calories may lead to fat.

    Other Factors

    • There are numerous other factors that could lead to a lowered metabolism, though they're less likely. Stress, a thyroid condition or other various health problems can all lead to a decrease in your basal metabolic rate. If you suspect that your age, eating habits and exercise level aren't causing your slow metabolism, you may want to seek medical attention. Sadly, genetics also play a role, so if your family has a history of slow metabolisms, you may share the same fate.

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