
Now that you’re burning calories more slowly, the weight you lost will likely find its way back. But when you lower calorie consumption, your body starts to prepare for the possibility of starvation by slowing your metabolism. If you cut down on calories, even if don’t increase physical activity, you’ll probably start losing weight. Here are a few things you can do to improve your metabolic age: You should try not to take in more calories than you burn on a consistent basis. The best way to stay healthy is through a combination of exercise and dietary habits. Ultimately, leading a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and eating well is what’s important,” said Trentacosta.

A lower BMR means your metabolism is slower. “A higher BMR means you need to burn more calories to sustain yourself throughout the day. It’s never too late: How you can improve your metabolic age Metabolic testing may be offered at health clubs and medical clinics. Though BMR and REE are calculated differently, the difference is less than 10 percent, so these terms may be used interchangeably. As you relax, a technician monitors your resting energy expenditure. In this test, you have to lie down under a transparent dome. Arriving at your REE requires fasting and measurement by indirect calorimetry. Resting energy expenditure (REE) represents the actual number of calories spent at rest. Body proportions and demographic characteristics may complicate these estimates.


The marker of the ultimate definition of health it is not,” said Trentacosta. It does give insight into how you compare to others your age. Metabolic age isn’t something we talk about in the medical community. For example, a bodybuilder with a lot of lean muscle could end up with a similar estimated BMR or BMI as someone without the same composition.Ĭurrently, there aren’t many peer-reviewed studies of metabolic age. According to Trentacosta, neither measure factors in body composition properly. “You can’t use BMR as a single measure of your state of health or fitness level, but it can give insight into your state of health,” said Trentacosta.Īs with body mass index (BMI), BMR has its critics. She told Healthline that “metabolic age” is a term the fitness industry has been using in recent years.īMR is just one measurement of a person’s overall health and fitness. Natasha Trentacosta is a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. What does your metabolic age tell you about your health?ĭr.
