My metabolism, it seems, has fallen off a cliff.<\/p>\n
I first noticed that things weren\u2019t quite as they should be this past spring. After last year\u2019s period of festive indulgence<\/a>, I hit the gym again, dialed up my running, and locked in my diet in the same way I have been doing for the past five years. Only, at age 35, all my usual hacks didn\u2019t seem to be having the same effect. I\u2019ve never been super in shape, but usually a few weeks of work would leave me fairly happy with how I looked. Now, no matter how much I run<\/a> or diet, I can\u2019t seem to lose weight<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re cooked,\u201d says my friend Joel when I bring this up. Joel has an active job, and he\u2019s been running 40 miles a week to and from work\u2014and he has kids to keep him busy. But we\u2019re both in the same boat. \u201cI\u2019m not losing any weight, even with all this running,\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n Instead of giving in to the cruel ravages of time, I thought I\u2019d try and do something about it. I contacted the best experts around to see if they could help me, Joel, and you understand what metabolism actually is, and how we might kick-start it once it starts to slow down.<\/p>\n What is metabolism, exactly?<\/p>\n \u201cYour metabolism is a combination of many factors which can change as we grow,\u201d says Dr. Gareth Nye<\/a>, a lecturer in biomedical science at the University of Salford. \u201cOne important factor is your basal or resting metabolic rate (BMR)\u2014the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic life-sustaining functions, or essentially the calories you would burn staying in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n As a teenager, someone might have remarked on your ability to lie around all day, eat burgers, and still be slender, attributing this to a fast metabolism. The thing is, our bodies aren\u2019t growing as they did when we were younger, so keeping the metabolic fire stoked now takes a bit more work. Especially when you factor in the more sedentary and stressed life of a middle-aged guy.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no coincidence that most people complain about being unable to lose weight in their 30-40s as it\u2019s normally when adults are at their most stressed<\/a> and busy with work and family,\u201d says Nye.<\/p>\n Why are things slowing down now?<\/p>\n \u201cYour body is doing exactly what it was designed to do,\u201d says Dr. Harpal Bains, a longevity doctor and medical director at Harpal Clinic<\/a>. \u201cFrom an evolutionary perspective,\u201d she continues, \u201cmen were built to peak in their late teens and early 20s to compete, reproduce and protect the tribe. By your 30s, testosterone starts to decline, muscle-building slows and your metabolism downshifts.\u201d<\/p>\n All of which makes sense, but it\u2019s a rude awakening for someone trying to convince themselves that they can still hold their own with the younger generation. I don\u2019t want to be over the hill at 35, even if my body\u2019s designed that way.<\/p>\n It gets worse. \u201cYou become more insulin-resistant, cortisol<\/a> (stress hormone) creeps up and recovery<\/a> takes longer,\u201d adds Dr. Bains. \u201cThis makes it harder to stay lean or build strength<\/a> using the same strategies that worked a decade ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Bains explains, however, that this isn’t failure: It’s biology. \u201cYour body isn\u2019t broken. It\u2019s behaving exactly as it was built to,\u201d she says. \u201cBut with the right training, nutrition, recovery, and testing, you can absolutely stay strong, lean and high-performing well into your 40s and beyond. You just have to stop fighting your 20-year-old blueprint and start upgrading it and working with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Does testosterone play a part?<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s just my algorithm, but social media seems to be awash with testimonials about testosterone treatments<\/a> and receiving a new lease of life as a result. Bains says that things are supposed to get harder as we get older, but how much of a role does low testosterone<\/a> play? Is it entirely to blame?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"My metabolism, it seems, has fallen off a cliff. 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