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We all have at least one of those friends who can eat as much as she likes and still remain thin.
Her secret? She claims that it is because of her high metabolism.
Metabolism is the process that your body uses to burn calories and provide energy to your organs, muscles, and cells. Many health products promise that with a little help from their metabolism boosters, you can speed up that process and start burning calories more quickly—even those pesky fat calories!
Keep reading to find out if those promises are true!
A metabolism booster is any product that claims to increase your body’s metabolism. An increased metabolic rate burns your body’s stored calories quicker. Many companies market these metabolism boosters for weight loss.
Metabolism is the process in which your body converts stored calories into energy.
Even when you are relatively inactive, your metabolism is constantly working to burn many calories a day in order to operate your basic bodily functions:
Your rate of metabolism during this activity is called your ‘resting metabolic rate’ or ‘basal metabolic rate, or (BMR).’ BMR is determined by several factors which are usually uncontrollable, according to the Mayo Clinic:
The answer that you want to hear: Yes, it does.
The answer that you want to ignore: Probably not as effectively as you hoped it would.
While common foods and drinks can sometimes boost your metabolism, your metabolism usually limits the effects to a few hours after consumption. Also, only in some cases does this metabolism boost lead to fat burning.
For example, a 1980 study showed that caffeine and coffee increased metabolism for a few hours after consumption [1]. However, this only caused fat oxidation in patients with median weight.
Metabolism boosting supplements often contain a combination of ingredients to increase basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly-found ingredients.
A 2009 study concluded that consuming green tea extract (GTE) had a significant effect on metabolic weight loss [2].
Green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, which was found to increase your metabolism and fat burn. One study published that about three cups of green tea daily are required to affect that metabolic rate, however [3]. Participants in this study were found to burn about 100 extra calories a day this way [4].
Other compounds in green tea may also be a factor in its metabolic weight loss effects. Green tea contains a significant amount of caffeine, which has been shown to give your metabolism a boost. It also contains other catechins which have been shown to have a minor effect on weight loss and weight maintenance.
Caffeine can boost metabolism by increasing the body’s thermogenesis, or in other words, its heat production. Extra heat production requires a higher number of calories.
One study from 1989 showed that consuming 100 mg of caffeine can increase the resting metabolic rate by about 3-4%. This increase lasts for about two and a half hours after consumption.
Both median-weight and overweight individuals experienced this metabolism increase, according to the study [5].
Some energy drinks and weight-loss products contain caffeine to stimulate basal metabolic rate. Keep in mind, though, that most Americans already consume an average of 200-300 mg of caffeine daily by drinking coffee and tea.
Anyone who knows spicy food preparation will remember that capsaicin is the sweat-inducing chemical found in spicy chili and jalapeno peppers.
Research has also shown that capsaicin can support weight loss [6]. There are multiple methods by which capsaicin does this:
Again, capsaicin is often found in weight loss supplement products, which can provide the first three benefits from that list. But for the fourth benefit, it is helpful to consume capsaicin from hot peppers added to your meals.
L-carnitine is derived from amino acids and facilitates the transportation of fatty acids across cell membranes. This allows the digestive system cells to break down fat cells and release the caloric energy.
Research has not yet determined the specific, quantifiable increase in BMR from L-carnitine [7]. However, this compound has been linked to other potential benefits, like reducing risk of certain heart diseases.
L-carnitine can be found in red meat like beef and lamb, but also in poultry, dairy, and fish. If these foods are not part of your diet, you can take L-carnitine in supplement products.
L-carnitine is derived from amino acids and facilitates the transportation of fatty acids across cell membranes. This allows the digestive system cells to break down fat cells and release the caloric energy.
Research has not yet determined the specific, quantifiable increase in BMR from L-carnitine [7]. However, this compound has been linked to other potential benefits, like reducing risk of certain heart diseases.
L-carnitine can be found in red meat like beef and lamb, but also in poultry, dairy, and fish. If these foods are not part of your diet, you can take L-carnitine in supplement products.
B-complex vitamins can boost metabolism and burn more calories. They facilitate better metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in the body.
Niacin, Vitamin B-6, and Iron are all good for improving the body’s natural production of L-carnitine. This is usually a better method than taking expensive L-carnitine supplements.
Turmeric is another seasoning that has recently become popular for its anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show that it can also help metabolic disorders and obesity.
Due to the limited studies on metabolism-boosting supplements, most medical advice and dietary weight loss advisors recommend increasing your metabolism through natural means and lifestyle changes.
Changing your everyday habits can often boost metabolism and lead to greater weight loss than expensive and often ineffective supplements.
Adding many ordinary foods to your diet can have a positive impact on your body’s metabolism without harmful side effects.
Of course, any weight management service or fat-burning plan should include regular exercise. Exercise will not only burn calories, but it can also raise your metabolism levels and keep them elevated throughout the day.
In particular, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is effective for keeping your metabolism elevated for long after you finish your exercise. Studies have shown that HIIT exercise can burn more calories and increases the body’s resting energy expenditure more than other forms of exercise [9]. That rate of energy conversion can stay elevated for the rest of the day.
In general, aerobic exercise is what burns caloric fat. But it is important to remember that muscle mass requires the most energy to maintain, so increasing muscle burns calories and is a key component for boosting metabolism.
Medical advice recommends that your regular exercise targets all of the major muscle groups at least once per week, using weight lifting or strength training.
Building up good exercise habits can be frustrating, especially when exercise becomes repetitive. Implementing a few effective changes and variations can keep your metabolism strong while preventing malaise.
Data from studies now show that poor sleeping habits can negatively impact metabolism [10]. It is possible that varying your sleep habits by an hour can increase your risk of metabolic irregularity by as much as 27%.
Online health information recommends that you try to stick with a consistent bedtime and wake-up alarm. Avoid late night sleep-harming activities such as screen time and blue light exposure.
The best medical advice suggests that keeping your sleep patterns consistent also may help you keep your metabolism consistent and avoid unpredictable weight gain.
Among the numerous reasons to drink lots of water each day, data from studies have shown that increased water intake can also increase resting metabolic rate [11].
The trick is consistent water intake throughout the day. Half a liter of water can increase metabolism by up to 30% for about an hour.
Cold water is preferable, because your body will expend additional energy raising the water temperature to match your internal body temperature.
As an extra bonus, water will also fill your stomach and decrease appetite, leading you to consume smaller portions. This will greatly benefit your weight management program.
While metabolism boosters can make you lose weight, you will probably gain much more benefit from the metabolism boost that comes with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise.
Make sure you consume a larger fraction of high-protein foods, and choose foods listed in this article that increase thermogenesis and amino acid production. Consume moderate caffeine daily, especially from green tea which also contains catechins.
The best health information recommends that you exercise each day, and include some high intensity interval training to really get your metabolism jump-started and keep it going strong all day.
And of course, whether you are taking metabolism-boosting supplements or not, increase your water consumption to keep your metabolism running smoothly. This is especially important in conjunction with supplement products, which can sometimes causeminor dehydration.
