Metabolic Age: What It Means for Your Health and how to improve it

Chronological age might give you the number of years since you were born, but it will not give you a statistic on whether you are metabolically healthy or not. That’s where metabolic age comes in.

Metabolic age is one of the emerging markers of metabolic health and metabolism. Understanding metabolic age can help combat age-related challenges, take fitness to another level and improve longevity.

What is Metabolic Age?

Metabolic age is based on our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), which indicates the number of calories our body burns at rest. It is a measure that compares your body’s metabolic rate to the average metabolic rate of individuals in your age group. Essentially, it’s an indicator of how well your body burns calories and utilizes energy.

If your metabolic age is lower than your chronological age, it suggests that your body is functioning more efficiently. Conversely, if your metabolic age is higher, it may indicate issues such as slowed metabolism or higher levels of body fat.

How is Metabolic Age Calculated?

Calculating metabolic age typically involves a combination of factors, including:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions at rest, like breathing and digestion.

2. Body Composition: This includes your body fat percentage, muscle mass, and water retention levels.

3. Age and Gender: Different metabolic benchmarks exist for different age groups and sexes.

If you want to calculate your BMR manually, here’s a simple formula you can use:

For men: BMR = (4.536 × weight in pounds) + (15.88 × height in inches) − (5 × age) + 5
For women: BMR = (4.536 × weight in pounds) + (15.88 × height in inches) − (5 × age) − 161

More accurate assessments can be obtained through professional health evaluations that include comprehensive body composition analysis.

What does your metabolic age reveal about your overall health?

Understanding your metabolic age can help you gain insights into your overall health. It also steps away from using your ‘real age’, or the number on traditional weighing scales, to define your fitness.

1. Lower Metabolic Age
If your metabolic age is lower than your actual age, it’s a positive indicator. It generally means you have a good metabolism, lower body fat percentage, and higher muscle mass, all of which contribute to better overall health. Individuals with a lower metabolic age often experience:

Increased energy levels
Better cardiovascular health
Reduced risk of chronic diseases
Improved mental health

2. Higher Metabolic Age
A higher metabolic age compared to your chronological age can be a red flag. It may indicate poor lifestyle choices, such as a lack of physical activity, poor diet, and high body fat percentage. A higher metabolic age may be associated with:

Increased risk of obesity
Higher likelihood of developing diabetes
Elevated risk of heart disease
Lower energy levels and stamina

How to Improve Your Metabolic Age

Because your metabolic age is based on your BMR, to change or improve your metabolic age, you’ll want to focus on boosting your BMR. Here are some effective ways to do that.

Tips for Changing Your Metabolic Age

1. Focus on Muscle-Building Workouts

Building muscle is one key factor in boosting your metabolic rate. Engaging in a combination of Strength training, weight lifting, and other resistance physical activities

can be very effective at building lean muscle mass and improving body composition. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so building muscle mass can increase your BMR.

Squats
Deadlifts
Push-ups and pull-ups
Lunges
Shoulder press
Chest press

2. Eat More Protein

Your body needs adequate amounts of essential amino acids from your diet to help build muscle. If you’re not getting enough protein, not only is it much harder to increase muscle mass, but you may also lose muscle, which can slow down your metabolic rate.

Complete protein sources such as lean meat and eggs, wild-caught seafood, Greek yoghurt, tofu, minimally processed red meats, and other whole food sources are great ways to boost your intake.

However, protein needs can vary based on each person’s individual health needs and activity level. Discuss your protein intake with your nutritionist before making any significant dietary changes.

3. Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin signals our cells to let glucose in to be used for energy. But if your body isn’t responding to insulin, blood glucose levels can remain elevated. Over time, chronically high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can lead to poor metabolic health and even diabetes.

Enhancing your body’s insulin sensitivity can play a significant role in reducing metabolic age by promoting more efficient blood sugar management. Strategies to enhance insulin sensitivity include:

Optimise your carbohydrate consumption
Reduce Inflammation
Stay Active
Get More Sunshine
Adequate Sleep

4. Drink more cold water

Drinking enough water is crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Water aids in the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients, which is vital for an efficient metabolic process.

People who drink water instead of sugary drinks are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off.

Studies have shown that drinking 17 ounces (0.5 litres) of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour. This calorie-burning effect may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it to body temperature. Drinking enough water is crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Here are 13 Dehydration Symptoms to Know.

5. Reduce Stress

Chronic stress can negatively impact your metabolism by increasing the release of cortisol, the stress hormone that can lead to fat storage and muscle breakdown. Stress, over time, can also contribute to inflammation.

Reducing chronic stress can benefit metabolism by reducing inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing blood pressure. Here are some tips to reduce stress:

Create a daily routine that works for you
Journal to release your emotions and energy
Exercise to release any pent-up stress
Practice meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises
Get more movement throughout the day

Conclusion

Metabolic age is not just about the years lived but about how well your bodies function internally. Metabolic age gives a mirror to reflect on your lifestyle choices, like diet, exercise, and stress management, and their profound impacts on your health. Understanding your metabolic age empowers you to make decisions that aim to align your metabolic age with or below your chronological age. Furthermore, it also enhances your overall well-being.

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