What Are the Factors that Affect Metabolism?

In general, metabolism is the rate at which the body utilizes calories in order to meet energy demands. On the other hand, the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR refers to the number of calories that the body burns during rest. A person’s BMR decreases as the person ages, which means that it will be harder to burn the calories and lose weight when we get older.

There are some factors that affect metabolism and it includes:

Lack of Sleep

Exercise

Stress

Lack of Sleep. When a person lacks sleep, hormonal levels change. The adrenal gland produces more cortisol which controls appetite. Increased levels of cortisol will make people feel more hungry even if they are already full.

Exercise. Exercise helps in increasing the basal metabolic rate; however, it doesn’t stop there because if the person exercises regularly, the body continues to burn calories at a higher rate even after the exercise is finished. Thus, it is always recommended to exercise regularly to keep the metabolism high.

Stress. When a person is stressed, the hypothalamus instructs the adrenal glands to release epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol in the bloodstream. These three hormones help in increasing the heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and metabolism. However, prolonged stress can also disrupt the digestive system functions. It can also cause a condition called ulcerative colitis which lowers the basal metabolic rate. The metabolic rate will normalize and improve if stress is removed.