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Metabolism explained
Metabolismreferstothecountlesschemicalprocessesgoingoncontinuouslyinsidethebodythat allowlifeandnormalfunctioning.Theseprocessesrequireenergyfromfood.Theamountof kilojoules(kJ)yourbodyburnsatanygiventimeisregulatedbyyourmetabolism.Youcant controlyourmetabolism,butyoucanmakeitworkforyouwhenyouexercise. Two processes of metabolism Hormones(chemicalmessagessecretedbytheglandsoftheendocrinesystem)andthenervous systemcontrolyourbodysmetabolism.Yourmetabolismcanbeupsetbyavarietyofevents, includinggeneticdisordersandhormonalproblems. Therearetwocomplementarypartstoyourmetabolism,whicharecarefullymonitoredtomake suretheyremaininbalance.Theyare: Catabolism-thebreakdownoffoodcomponents(suchascarbohydrates,proteinsand fats)intotheirsimplerforms,whichcanthenbeusedtocreateenergy.Thisimmediate formofenergycanbeconvertedintoheatorburnedbycells. Anabolism-energyisstoredinfatcellsorusedtohelpbuildandrepairstructuresofthe body.

Ima ge des crip

Metabolic rate (or total energy expenditure) Yourbodysmetabolicrate(ortotalenergyexpenditure)canbedividedintothreecomponents: Basal metabolic rate (BMR)-istheamountofkilojoulesburnedatrestandcontributes 50-80percentofyourenergyused. Energy used during physical activity-thisistheamountofkilojoulesburnedduring movementandphysicalactivity;inanormallyactiveperson,thiscomponentcontributes 20percentofdailyenergyuse. Thermic effect of food - thisistheenergyyouusetoeat,digestandmetabolisefood.It contributesabout5-10percentofyourenergyuse.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) TheBMRreferstotheamountofenergyyourbodyneedstomaintainitself.Thisaccountsfor5080percentofyourtotalenergyuse.Totalleanmass,especiallymusclemass,islargely responsiblefortheBMR.So,anythingthatreducesleanmasswillreduceBMR.Thatswhyits importanttopreservemusclemasswhenyoutrytoloseweight,sincetheBMRaccountsforso muchoftheenergyweuse. AnaveragemalemayhaveaBMRofaround7,100kJperday,whileanaveragefemalemayhavea BMRofaround5,900kJperday.Energyexpenditureiscontinuous,buttheratevariesthroughout theday.Thelowestrateofenergyexpenditureisusuallyintheearlymorning. Energy used during physical activity Duringheavyphysicalexertion,themusclesmayburnthroughasmuchas3,000kJperhour. Energyusedduringexerciseistheonlyformofenergyexpenditurethatyouhaveanycontrolover. Theenergyexpenditureofthemusclesmakesuponly20percentorsoofthetotalenergy expenditureatrestbut,duringstrenuousexercise,therateofenergyexpenditureofthemuscles maygoup50-foldormore. Thefollowingliststheamountofenergyusedduringvariousactivities. Activity Energy (kJ/kg/h) Sittingquietly1.7 Writing1.7

Metabolismexplained

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Standingrelaxed2.1 Drivingacar3.8 Vacuuming11.3 Walkingrapidly14.2 Running29.3 Swimming(4km/hour)33 Rowinginarace67 Thermic effect of food YourBMRrisesafteryoueatbecauseyouuseenergytoeat,digestandmetabolisethefoodyouve justeaten.Theriseoccurssoonafteryoustarteatingandpeakstwotothreehourslater.Thisrise intheBMRcanrangebetween2-3percentandupto25-30percent,dependingonthesizeofthe mealandthetypesoffoodseaten.Forexample: Fats-raisetheBMR4percent Carbohydrates-raiseBMR6percent Proteins -raiseBMR30percent Hot spicy foods-thesecanalsohaveasignificantthermiceffect:forexamplefoods containingchilli,horseradishandmustard.

Factors affecting the BMR YourBMRisinfluencedbyanumberoffactorsworkingincombination,including: Body size-largeradultbodieshavemoremetabolisingtissueandalargerBMR. Age-metabolismslowswithage,duetoalossinmuscletissuebutalsoduetohormonal andneurologicalchanges. Growth-infantsandchildrenhavehigherenergydemandperunitofbodyweightdueto theenergydemandsofgrowthandtheenergyneededtomaintaintheirbodytemperature. Gender-generally,menhavefastermetabolismsthanwomenbecausetheytendtobe largerandhavelessbodyfat. Genetic predisposition-yourmetabolicratemaybepartlydecidedbyyourgenes. Amount of lean muscle tissue-muscleburnskilojoulesvoraciously. Amount of body fat-fatcellsaresluggishandburnfarfewerkilojoulesthanmostother tissuesandorgansofthebody. Hormonal and nervous controls-BMRiscontrolledbythenervousandhormonal systems;hormonalimbalancescaninfluencehowquicklyorslowlythebodyburns kilojoules. Dietary deficiencies-forexample,adietlowiniodinereducesthyroidfunction,which slowsthemetabolism. Environmental temperature-iftemperatureisveryloworveryhigh,thebodyhasto workhardertomaintainitsnormalbodytemperature;thisincreasestheBMR. Infection or illness-BMRincreasesbecausethebodyhastoworkhardertobuildnew tissuesandtocreateanimmuneresponse. Crash dieting, starving or fasting-eatingtoofewkilojoulesencouragesthebodyto slowthemetabolismtoconserveenergy;BMRcandropbyupto15percent.Thereisalso lossofleanmuscletissue,whichfurthercontributestothedropinBMR. Amount of physical activity-hard-workingmusclesneedplentyofenergytoburn. Regularexerciseincreasesmusclemassandteachesthebodytoburnkilojoulesata fasterrate,evenwhenatrest. Drugs -somedrugs,likecaffeineornicotine,canincreasetheBMR.

Age-related weight gain Muscletissuehasavoraciousappetiteforkilojoules.Themoremusclemassyouhave,themore kilojoulesyouwillburn.Peopletendtoputonfatastheyage-thisisbecausethebodyslowly losesmuscle. Itsnotclearwhetherthismusclelossisaresultoftheageingprocessorbecausemanypeopleare lessactiveastheyage.However,itprobablyhasmoretodowithbecominglessactive,as researchhasshownthatstrengthandresistancetrainingcanreduceorpreventthismuscleloss. Ifyouareover40years,haveapre-existingmedicalconditionorhaventexercisedinsometime, seeyourdoctorbeforeembarkingonanynewfitnessprogram. Hormonal disorders

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Hormoneshelptoregulatethemetabolism.Someofthemorecommonhormonaldisordersare concernedwiththethyroid.Thisglandsecreteshormonestoregulatemanymetabolicprocesses, includingenergyexpenditure(therateatwhichkilojoulesareburned).Disordersinclude: Hypothyroidism-orunderactivethyroid.Themetabolismslowsbecausethethyroid glanddoesntreleaseenoughhormones.Acommoncauseistheautoimmunecondition Hashimotosdisease.Someofthesymptomsofhypothyroidismincludeunusualweight gain,lethargy,depressionandconstipation. Hyperthyroidism-oroveractivethyroid.Theglandreleasesgreaterquantitiesof hormonesthannecessaryandspeedsthemetabolism.Themostcommoncauseofthis conditionisGravesdisease.Someofthesymptomsofhyperthyroidismincludeincreased appetite,weightloss,nervousnessanddiarrhoea.

Genetic disorders of metabolism Sometimesafaultygeneaffectspartofthemetabolicprocessandstopsthebodyfromusingfood components,suchascarbohydrates,inthenormalway.Inmostcases,thesedisorderscanbe managedundermedicalsupervision,withstrictattentiontodiet.Somegeneticdisordersofthe metabolisminclude: Fructose intolerance-theinabilitytobreakdownfructose,whichisatypeofsimple sugarfoundinfruits,fruitjuices,sugar(forexample,canesugar)andcertainvegetables. Galactosaemia-theinabilitytoconvertthecarbohydrategalactoseintoglucose. Galactoseisnotfoundinnature;itisproducedwhenlactoseisbrokendownbythe digestivesystemintoglucoseandgalactose.Sourcesoflactoseincludemilkandmilk products,suchasyoghurtandcheese. Phenylketonuria (PKU)-theinabilitytoconverttheaminoacidphenylalanineinto tyrosine.Highlevelsofphenylalanineinthebloodcancausebraindamage.Highprotein foodsmustbeavoided.

Where to get help Yourdoctor Anaccreditedpractisingdietitian,contacttheDietitiansAssociationofAustralia

Things to remember

Metabolismreferstothecountlesschemicalprocessesgoingoncontinuouslyinsidethe bodythatallowlifeandnormalfunctioning. Theamountofkilojoulesyourbodyburnsatanygiventimeisregulatedbyyour metabolism. Themetabolicrateisinfluencedbymanyfactors,includingage,gender,muscle-to-fat ratio,amountofphysicalactivityandhormonefunction.

This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:

DeakinUniversity-SchoolofExerciseandNutritionSciences

Copyight 1999/2009StateofVictoria.ReproducedfromtheBetterHealthChannel(www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)at nocostwithpermissionoftheVictorianMinisterforHealth.Unauthorisedreproductionandotherusescomprisedinthe copyrightareprohibitedwithoutpermission. ThisBetterHealthChannelfactsheethaspassedthrougharigorousapprovalprocess.Forthelatestupdatesandmore informationvisitwww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.

Metabolismexplained

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