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Metabolic age is a marker that helps us understand our condition and health status based on metabolism. Unlike chronological age, which simply reflects how long we’ve lived, metabolic age shows how our body functions metabolically.
Want to know how it’s calculated and how to lower it? Keep reading and discover the secrets to reaching an ideal metabolic age.
What is resting metabolic rate and how to calculate it?
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is a measure of our body’s energy use, interpreted as the minimum number of calories it needs daily at rest. The formula is usually an estimate that takes into account:
- Age.
- Gender.
- Height.
- Weight.
Mifflin Equation
This formula is used to calculate the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions at rest, like breathing, maintaining body temperature, and blood circulation. It’s one of the most accurate equations for calculating BMR and considers weight, height, age, and gender.
Equations
- For men: BMR = 10×weight in kg + 6.25×height in cm − 5×age in years + 5
- For women: BMR = 10×weight in kg + 6.25×height in cm − 5×age in years – 161
Calculation example
Let’s say we want to calculate the BMR of a 40-year-old man who weighs 85 kg and is 175 cm tall. Plugging these numbers into the formula gives us 1748.7 kcals.
Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your daily calorie needs by multiplying the BMR by a physical activity factor that varies depending on your activity level:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR ×1.2
- Light activity (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR ×1.375
- Moderate activity (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR ×1.55
- High activity (intense exercise/sports 6-7 days/week): BMR ×1.725
- Very high activity (very intense exercise/sports and physical work daily): BMR ×1.9
These factors help estimate how many calories you need daily to maintain your current weight, lose weight, or gain weight, depending on your goals.
Ideal metabolic age
The ideal metabolic age is defined as the one that matches our chronological age, meaning our body is working optimally for our age, burning calories efficiently and maintaining a healthy weight.
However, this number isn’t set in stone, as various factors can influence it, like genetics, physical activity, diet, and stress.
Reaching an ideal metabolic age not only makes us feel better and gives us more energy, but it can also have a significant impact on long-term health, lowering the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
Factors that can influence our metabolic age
Knowing these key factors is essential to better understand our metabolic age and take steps to improve it.
- Genetics: Inheritance plays a big role in the tendency to have a faster or slower metabolism.
- Physical activity: Regular physical activity, especially strength training, helps maintain muscle mass, which in turn boosts basal metabolism and burns more calories even at rest.
- Diet: A diet high in processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats can slow it down,
- Sleep: Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones that control appetite and fat storage, leading to weight gain and a slower metabolism.
- Stress: Chronic stress can negatively affect metabolism by releasing hormones like cortisol that increase fat storage and decrease muscle mass.
How to lower Metabolic Age?
By changing our habits around diet and physical activity, we can influence our metabolism and steer it toward a much more efficient one, where fat accumulation is reduced, and muscle mass gain or maintenance is favored.
Training
Training, especially with weights or resistance, stimulates the hormonal environment. It triggers a cascade of hormone releases, such as testosterone, growth hormone, growth factors… As we age, this physiological environment tends to decline.
Nutrition
Food, through the supply of macro and micronutrients, is how we refill energy stores and perform more demanding workouts, as well as help regenerate, repair, and build the tissues that make up all systems to restore internal balance.
An efficient metabolism is one that with proper nutrition, can recover from efforts and be optimally ready for the next ones. Of course, workload must match requirements.
Rest
Lowering stress levels is something we need to focus on and pay close attention to for the sake of health. Getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep not only promotes rest but also regulates hormones.
If you’ve had to change your sleep habits due to various reasons (baby, work…), your circadian rhythm might be disrupted. This is your internal biological clock that regulates physiological functions and, of course, controls metabolism.
Supplements
Metabolic age, a real indicator of physical condition, has sparked interest in optimizing it. While lifestyle changes like healthy eating and physical activity are key pillars, supplements could play a complementary role.
Evoptogen, a supplement based on adaptogens, is gaining popularity among athletes. Adaptogens like rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha, and eleutherococcus senticosus may help support a more efficient metabolism.
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