5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism After 40
1. Caffeine
Do you enjoy coffee? Good news! Caffeine has been shown to significantly increase metabolism! In a recent study, subjects were given 8mg/kg of caffeine and compared to a control group. The lucky caffeinated group showed increased metabolism for up to three hours. On top of that, increased fat oxidation was also noted. [1]
A cautionary note regarding caffeine though: while it can be used to boost metabolism, it will also tax the adrenal glands if overused. There is a point of diminishing returns where caffeine is concerned. If you no longer feel the effects of caffeine, you quite likely are over-caffeinated and it’s a sign to put your coffee cup down.
2. Sleep
Ever think you could ‘sleep your fat away?’ While you may not significantly boost your metabolism from sleeping more than is required, you will definitely tank your metabolism if you are sleep deprived.
Chronic sleep deprivation causes a decreased ability to manage blood sugar levels. It increases levels of a protein called NYP, or Neuropeptide Y, which decreases metabolism and increases appetite – sort of a double whammy that you want to avoid.
As well, when sleep deprived, natural levels of serotonin and dopamine are decreased which will increase cravings for carbohydrate-rich food. To make matters worse, lack of sleep increases the stress and belly fat storing hormone, cortisol.
All these factors should motivate anyone looking to drop belly fat to protect their sleep. Most adults need a solid 7-8 hours per night. It’s best to have regular retiring and waking hours, even on weekends. Sleep quality is as important as quantity, so reducing blue light (from TV, computer screens, digital readers and smartphones) 30 minutes before bed is also helpful to ensure that the deeper sleep cycles are reached
3. Eating
Ready for more good news? Eating actually stimulates your metabolism!
More precisely, NOT eating suppresses your metabolism. The human body is a remarkable machine bent on survival. When food is withheld, the body goes into survival mode, slowing itself down to survive on fewer calories. This is why low-calorie diets usually result in weight GAIN. The body becomes more efficient to function on less fuel.
Providing regular meals lets the body know that energy is readily available and it’s safe to use up some of the excess stored energy (fat).
Research has also shown that those that eat more protein have higher energy expenditure at rest, so bring on the protein!
4. Exercise
Not surprisingly, exercise is one of the BEST ways to boost metabolism, but let’s clarify exactly what type of exercise is most effective.
Long ‘cardio’ workouts do more to dampen metabolism than raise it. Calories get burned whilst exercising (on a treadmill, slow jogging, doing elliptical training, etc) but once the exercise stops, so does the calorie burning.
5. High Intensity Interval Training
A better choice is HIIT, or high intensity interval training with short bursts to spike the heart rate. This elicits EPOC or post-exercise oxygen consumption, also called ‘after burn’ because research shows an elevated calorie burn for up to 30 hours after exercise.
When you pair HIIT with resistance training, you’ve got the ‘magic formula’ for a metabolic boost. Resistance training increases lean muscle tone and maintaining (or increasing) your lean ‘mass’ is really the magic behind an elevated metabolism, even at rest.
