METABOLISM MYTHS – BUSTED!

Think you know how yours works? Think again…

MYTH: You're overweight because your metabolism is slow.

Afraid not. In fact, several studies have now shown that the opposite is true. Larger people often have a faster metabolism because it simply requires more energy to carry around more weight. It’s more likely to be the case that you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning off.

MYTH: Our metabolism gets slower as we age.

It used to be thought that metabolism slowed down from around the age of 30, but a recent study showed that this may not be the case. We may continue to use energy at a similar rate until we are 60*. That said, it’s true that if your activity levels have gradually decreased as you’ve gotten older, or you’ve lost muscle mass, your met-rate could have stalled. ‘There may be age-related trends, but in most cases, metabolic rate is linked to changes in habits and lifestyle,’ says Mohit.

MYTH: Exercise affects metabolism differently during the day.

False! ‘It doesn’t matter what time of day you exercise, the benefits are the same,’ says Alex.

You officially have the green light to exercise when it suits you, rather than when you think it will have the most impact.

MYTH: Coffee and green tea naturally increase your metabolic rate.

No, sadly not. ‘If they did, doubtless we’d all be super-slim without having to make much effort,’ says Alex. ‘The evidence for these drinks having any real impact on our metabolism is flimsy, at best.’

MYTH: Breakfast boosts your metabolism.

For years we’ve been told that people who eat breakfast are slimmer because eating a meal in the morning somehow ‘kick-starts’ metabolism. But the impact of not eating before midday on weight management varied widely between individuals in a recent American study. ‘Plus, for some people, low blood sugar levels lead to cognitive-function decline, so breakfast is an important meal for them,’ says Mohit. Experiment and listen to your body’s signals to work out what suits you best.

MYTH: When you lose a lot of weight fast, your metabolism speeds up.

False! ‘The opposite can be true, particularly with crash-dieting,’ says Alex. ‘Radically reducing what you eat can mean you lose muscle mass as well as fat, slowing your met-rate. This means you need fewer calories to function, but it makes it easy to put fat straight back on when you come off the diet and eat normally.’