What is metabolism?

The word 'metabolism' is one that is synonymous with health, diet and fitness. Most of us are aware that a slow metabolism will mean we carry more weight where as a fast metabolism is what a lot of people strive for as it means being thinner and leaner in shape. This page is going to provide you with a comprehensive guide as to what metabolism is exactly and what it does. We will answer the questions 'what is a fast metabolism?' and also 'what is a slow metabolism?' as these are commonly asked by people that are new to the subject. As well as our meaning of metabolism we will also provide a clear example of what it is to have a fast and slow metabolism.

What is metabolism?

So the number one question is 'what is metabolism?' and here we will start off with providing an in depth answer to the meaning of metabolism. The metabolism is the series of organic chemical processes in a living organism where cells create the substances and energy that are required in order to sustain the life of that organism, by this we mean to enable it to keep on going. An organism needs energy at all times to survive no matter what it is doing.

As we have said it is not one process but several and many of these processes are triggered by the action of enzymes within the organism. Part of the metabolism is when organic compounds are reduced to make energy and heat, a process known as 'catabolism'. More basic molecules are also required in order to compile complex compounds such as proteins as these are fundamental in the growth and repair of tissues. The growth and repair of tissues within an organism is part of the 'anabolism'. How quickly the organism can carry out these metabolic processes defines it's own metabolic rate, if it can carry them out quickly then it has a fast metabolism and if it takes longer and the process is less effective then this is known as a slow metabolism. We have more information on slow and fast metabolisms further down the page.

The metabolic rate of an organism is usually determined when it is at rest, the term most commonly used is 'basal metabolic rate'. For more information on metabolic rate and working out what your own is, please see our basal metabolic rate page.

Whatever it is that we are doing, whether that is eating, sleeping, working, watching television or exercising, the body is constantly burning calories to a certain degree, the metabolism is all about how effectively calories are burned.

So in summary metabolism is what constant organic processes take place in something that is living in order to keep it that way and how effectively it does so.

What is a fast metabolism?

Now that we have answered the question 'what is metabolism?' in general we are going to proceed to talk in more detail about what it means to have a fast metabolism. Many people see a fast metabolism as a holy grail for their body as they picture looking like Naomi Campbell or David Beckham, if they are over weight or unfit they strive to increase their metabolism in order to obtain a much sought after fast metabolism. We are all living beings so therefore we all have a metabolism, if it is not one that is naturally fast or if we have not trained it to be a fast metabolism ourselves then it is possible to do something about it. This can be done in a number of ways and there is plenty of information on this site on metabolism boosters so please check it out.

But what is a fast metabolism, what does the term actually mean? Well other than having a slim and healthy figure the science of having a fast metabolism is that the body is able to burn the calories that it takes in efficiently, every single day, this is whether you are forcing it to or not. Imagine it as your body needing a certain amount of number of calories to survive on a daily basis, anything under means that it is left wanting and will have to break down energy stores or parts of the body to survive. However, if it takes on over the amount that it is required then there are too many calories, if the body can burn these efficiently this helps towards a fast metabolism, if it can't then it will just store them on the body as fat and contribute towards a slow metabolism as weight is gained. A metabolism diet can help make sure you are not overloading with calories and taking advantage of natural metabolism boosters can ensure that if you are over then your body can take care of the excess calories without putting on weight. Having a fast metabolism will mean that you can take on extra calories and will not put on weight without having to go to huge efforts such as exercising all of the time, this is because your body is working efficiently all day long at burning the calories.

Your metabolism is also affected by your body composition. This means that the amount of muscle you have compared to the amount of fat that you have. Muscle will use more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who have more muscle and have a lower percentage of body fat are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. So the fitter and more active you are can help to maintain a fast metabolism.

It is true to say that what you eat and also how much you eat is not the key here, it is how the body is able to digest and process the calories found in the food that it is fed. The simple answer to 'what is a fast metabolism?' is basically the faster rate at which calories are processed within the body.

People that have a fast metabolism are able to generally eat more and still be able to maintain their weight or even lose weight. They are also able to reduce their exercise habits and still not put on weight as a result, despite still eating the same amount as they would if they were exercising as normal.

It is without a doubt the minority of people that are naturally blessed with a fast metabolism, everyone else has to make changes to their diet and lifestyle in order to obtain this luxury. There are many useful tips on this website on how to increase metabolism, so if you are one of the many people that wants to speed up your metabolism please take a look around.

What is a slow metabolism?

If you have read the above section on what a fast metabolism is then you are going to have a very good idea of the answer to the question 'what is a slow metabolism?'. A slow metabolism is something that a lot of people are subjected to, yes that is right subjected, where as a fast metabolism is seen as a blessing, a slow metabolism is seen by many as a curse. A slow metabolism is where the body is less effective at breaking down and processing calories that enter the body and the result of this is that the person will put on weight very easily. People that have a slow metabolism will generally have a higher percentage of body fat and be less likely to take part in regular exercise. Because the body does not process calories quickly an effectively they are not burned but instead stored as more body fat. Many people will use having a slow metabolism as an excuse for being over weight, however it is more down to the following factors as to why people are generally more over weight than others:

Eating too many calories on a regular basis
Not exercising enough
Genetics and family history
The effect of medication
Bad habits such as missing meals or not sleeping enough or even having an inconsistent sleeping pattern

There are many ways in which a slow metabolism can be given a boost, this can be as simple as eating different foods that can boost metabolism or by making simple lifestyle changes, please check out our metabolism boosters page for more information. Now that you know what metabolism is it can be the right time to make some important changes.

Example of fast and slow metabolism

In addition to the information on fast and slow metabolism above we have included a very basic example below on what it means to have these different metabolisms. You should be able to work out which person has which metabolism after finding out what metabolism is.

Person A

Person A is 6 ft. tall and weighs 160 lbs., he exercises on a regular basis with weights and has a muscular figure with very little body fat. He is careful with what he eats and keeps to regular meal times and sleeping patterns

Person B

Person B is also 6 ft. tall and also weighs 160 lbs., he does not exercise very much at all and has very little muscle but a high percentage of body fat. He eats excessively and sporadically, does not stick to regular mealtimes and frequently snacks between his meals.

Person A will have a fast metabolism because his body will process more calories in order to sustain itself. Person B has a slow metabolism and instead of using calories to sustain his body he will store them up as more body fat. One important thing to remember is that muscle will use a higher amount of calories to maintain itself than fat.

We hope that our page has helped you answer the question 'what is metabolism?' and also helped you to be able to define the differences between a slow metabolism and a fast metabolism. There is much more to our site than just the meaning of metabolism. We provide information on metabolism boosting foods and also how to increase your metabolism. Please take a look around and make the most of the free information that we have on offer.