Metabolism is the collection of chemical processes that keep living organisms alive. These processes are essential for transforming food into energy, creating molecules necessary for growth and getting rid of waste. In broad strokes, metabolism affects the way the body uses and stores energy, which is essential to maintaining general health, body weight, and physical performance.
What is Metabolism?
At a most fundamental level, metabolism means all the chemical reactions in the body required to maintain life. They fall into two categories of reactions.
Anabolic processes: These include building complex molecules from simple ones It represents things like protein synthesis from amino acids, energy being stored as glycogen, and fats created from fatty acids for example. Anabolic processes require energy and are responsible for the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues.
The converse of anabolism, catabolic processes degrade complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy. Like the assimilation of carbohydrates into glucose, fats into fatty acids, and proteins into amino acids. It provides the energy you need to power your body in both its metabolic processes and physical movement.
Collectively, they maintain key energy balance, body temperature, digestion, and respiration three essential metabolic processes that support maintaining energy balance, controlling body temperature, digestion, and respiration.
The Metabolic Rate
Metabolism essentially describes how fast the body is burning calories to facilitate core processes like breathing, blood flow and keeping body temperature stable. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories required to maintain bodily functions at rest.
There are several variables that affect a person’s metabolic rate:
Understanding Metabolism: The Body’s Energy System
