How metabolism, age and chronic diseases are actually related
Published in Science magazine article about a large-scale study of metabolism in people throughout life.
Some of the things about it are sensational enough.
Here's what we used to believe in:
- Women have a slower metabolism than men, so it is more difficult for them to lose weight.
- After 40 years, it is simply destined to gain weight, because the exchange has already significantly decreased.
- After menopause, maintaining a good figure and correct body composition becomes a feat at all.
It turns out that this is not entirely true.
And some things are not at all so.
Metabolism has NOT CHANGED for almost 40 years (from 20 to 60 years). Moreover, both in men and women.
Although yes, in women it is, in principle, slower than in men.
The study analyzed the energy expenditure during daily life in more than 6400 men and women from 29 countries around the world between the ages of 8 days and 95 years. Energy costs were measured using the so-called indirect calorimetry: scientists in a special chamber measured the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by the participants in the experiment. The experiments used double-labeled water (DLW) containing heavy isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. This is a very expensive and rather progressive method.
In total, researchers have identified 4 stages of metabolism in human life:
- From birth to one year of life. Metabolism during this period is 50% higher than that of adults. Surprisingly, in the first month of life, the baby's metabolism is the same as that of the mother. And then it is as if the switch is turned on.
If during this period the child is malnourished or malnourished, then the damage he will not be able to compensate for the whole life.
- From one to 20 years. A slight decrease, about 3% per year.
- From 20 to 60 years old - NO CHANGE. Menopause also has little or no effect on slowing down your metabolism. At least the researchers did not observe this.
- From 61 onwards - constant deceleration, on average by 0.7%. By the age of 90, metabolism is about 26% lower than middle age.
Of course, there may be individual characteristics. There are people by nature and with a very high metabolism, and with a very low. But in general, these are the usual exceptions to the rule. For the average person, this is exactly the case with metabolism.
So if you recovered before 60 years old - metabolic slowdown has nothing to do with. He was absent.
But in general, the study shows: no matter how good we look, at the age of 60 we begin to age-related sores and slow down the metabolism. It is necessary to approach this age as ready as possible: keep in good shape, gain muscles. This is just as important as your retirement savings. And then the increase in life expectancy will only please us.
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