You may have heard about metabolic flexibility—a great technique to boost your metabolism, support your overall health and wellness, and lose weight. Metabolism plays a major role in losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight after you shed some pounds. Other than calorie restriction and picking nutrient-rich foods (like salmon!), exercise is a significant metabolism booster.
To learn more about metabolic flexibility, we spoke with Sarah-Nicole Bostan, a clinical health psychologist, board-certified in biofeedback therapy, the Direct of Behavior Change Strategy at Signos, a weight management company. She is an expert in metabolic psychology and mind-body practices as it relates to behavior change. She said that metabolic flexibility is the way the body reacts to alter metabolism in response to exercise or foods (especially fats and carbohydrates). It can be beneficial to lose weight, have energy, and feel your best. Read on to learn more about metabolic flexibility and how to boost your metabolism for weight loss!
READ MORE: How To Boost Your Metabolism Over 50, According To Experts
What Is Metabolic Flexibility?
Metabolic flexibility is the body's way of responding to changes in energy demand based on the activity you do. It refers to physiological adaptability—how quickly and efficiently the metabolism functions. "A proxy for high metabolic flexibility is the ability to maintain relatively stable glucose throughout the day," Bostan says.
"Glucose should naturally rise when eating foods that break down into sugars, such as simple and complex carbohydrates, and fall when insulin, a hormone from the pancreas, is released to transport glucose into the body's cells to be used as energy," she adds. When there is too much blood sugar, it can get stored in fat cells. This can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity because of cardiometabolic inflexibility. And, as you age, there is a decrease in metabolic flexibility.
But, there is good news: our bodies are very adaptive. So, while we can change our physiology with bad habits, we can equally change them through good ones. Nearly anyone can improve their metabolic flexibility—even women over 50. Bostan notes, "Eating whole foods with a focus on fibrous vegetables, lean proteins, and some healthy fats while minimizing processed sugars is the most straightforward way to begin to manage glucose. Regular exercise including both cardio and resistance training throughout the week will also help glucose stability." The best kind of exercise to boost your metabolism is HIIT workouts.
While a healthy diet and consistent exercise are easy ways to improve metabolic flexibility, managing stress is an overlooked part of optimizing metabolic rate. Bostan explains that what happens in our heads happens in our bodies, too. "The stress hormone, cortisol, is released from the adrenal glands when our brains sense a threat, and this causes glucose dysregulation when we least expect it. Ensuring regular sleep patterns is also an underrated strategy for bolstering metabolic flexibility," she continues.
READ MORE: The Best Metabolism-Boosting Supplement To Take Every Day, According To Experts
"One relatively easy trick I've implemented in my own life to improve my metabolic flexibility is to go on a 30-minute walk after eating when I can. Especially if a meal I ate included a substantial amount of carbohydrates, walking allows my body to utilize glucose more quickly rather than blood sugar staying elevated for several hours afterward," Bostan emphasizes. Her trick is especially beneficial after dinner because, she says, high glucose variability "can impact sleep as well as metabolic flexibility the next day."
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, metabolic flexibility describes the ability of the body to adapt to changes in metabolic or energy demand. In order to achieve metabolic flexibility, it's important to keep up with a great workout routine and, of course, maintain a nutritious, balanced diet. If you do all of that and keep Bostan's tips in mind, you should be well on your way to your weight loss goals!
