The speed of your metabolism

The speed of your metabolism is largely dependent on your overall size. Bigger people usually have higher resting metabolic rates (RMRs). But as Dr. Bill Campbell notes, there are other variables involved.

In a study of male and female endurance athletes, the best predictor of RMR in men was muscle mass. We expected that. But in women, the best predictor was calorie/food intake. In short, women with the highest metabolisms ate a lot and trained a lot. They lifted weights, they did cardio, and they were not shy at the dinner table.

Dr. Campbell warns, “A good way to slow down your metabolism is doing the opposite – reducing your calories and not exercising!” Sounds like the typical frustrated yo-yo dieter, doesn’t it?

You may have heard this referred to as “energy flux.” It basically means taking in a lot of calories and then frequently expending a lot of calories through exercise: eat a lot, train a lot. This should hammer another nail into the “starvation and cardio” coffin. The best female metabolisms, and the best-looking bodies, are built through eating plenty of healthy food, lifting lots of barbells, and doing conditioning work.

Think of the top female CrossFit athletes: They train a lot in a variety of ways. And while most of them make healthy food choices, they certainly don’t adopt low-calorie diets. The result? High-performance bodies, blazing-fast metabolisms, and leanness. –