Blaming metabolism? Try again

Aerobic, morning exercise don't provide boosts that many believe

By Kimberly Daniel - kdaniel@thesunnews.com

People tend to think that their slow metabolism prevents them from shedding pounds to lose weight.

But experts say most people who are overweight eat too much and exercise too little.

"Although there is a small percentage of the population that may have genetically slower metabolism, it still boils down to being able to expend more calories than you consume," said Dr. Greg Martel, associate professor of the Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department at Coastal Carolina University.

"If you are not expending more calories than you consume, your weight will either stay the same or increase over time," he said.

In addition to people blaming their inability to lose weight on their slow metabolism, there are two other myths of metabolism, Martel said.

"It is a myth or misunderstanding that aerobic exercise actually changes your [resting metabolic rate]," Martel said.

The RMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to support such basic physiological functions as breathing and circulating blood. This generally accounts for up to 75 percent of a person's daily caloric expenditure.

Knowing your RMR lets you calculate "how many calories you need in order to keep your current muscle mass," said Greg Hoff, general manager of Gold's Gym in North Myrtle Beach.

Aerobic exercise does increase a person's overall metabolism, but in order to boost the RMR, one must build up muscle mass through strength training, Martel said.

"The more muscle mass built up, the faster a person's body will burn energy," said Stacey Beam, the laboratory coordinator for the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at CCU.

The second misconception, Martel said, is the belief that exercising in the morning increases your metabolism for the entire day.

Morning exercise does speed up metabolism for a period of time, but not the entire day.

Increased metabolism can be expected for a few hours, depending on the intensity of the workout.

Hoff also said eating good foods, in the right proportion, every two to three hours, helps to raise the metabolism rate.

Fitness centers along the Grand Strand offer metabolism testing, and many can assist people in creating a diet and exercise program.

One service provided by Gold's Gym and Coastal Carolina University determines the RMR. Clients breathe into a mouthpiece device for 5 to 20 minutes, which specifically finds how many calories are needed in order for that person to do nothing at all.

Provided a person does more than sitting all day, fitness professionals can help to calculate how many calories are burned by physical activity, therefore, how many additional calories are needed by a person's body.

The RMR testing at CCU is $35 for community members and $25 for CCU faculty, staff and students.

For more information on CCU's metabolism testing, visit www.coastal.edu/recreation.