Clarification of Medical Terms: Metabolism, Carbohydrate Function, Carbohydrates, etc.

Medical Terminology Q&A

Why is there such a strong correlation between metabolism and weight loss?

The level of metabolism depends on age, gender, and the amount of lean muscle tissue in the body.

As people age, their metabolic rate decreases, which is why many people suddenly gain weight after menopause. Doctors say that the metabolic rate is at its highest between the ages of 8 and 25, and then it begins to decline, decreasing by about 30% to 5% every ten years.

You may eat a lot but not in a refined way when you are young, and eat less but in a refined way when you are old. The way you get calories is different, and the amount of exercise is also different. However, the difference in the decline of metabolism increases the possibility of obesity in middle age.

Men typically have a higher metabolic rate than women. A normal basal metabolic rate for men is around 1400-1800 calories, while for women it is around 1200-1600 calories, meaning there is an inherent difference of 200 calories in their metabolism.

Of course, this difference is also related to the muscle tissue in the body, that is, lean muscle tissue. It has the function of increasing the body's basal metabolism and increasing calorie consumption. People with less lean muscle have a lower metabolic rate and a relatively higher proportion of fat, and therefore a worse ability to burn calories.

Even among people of the same weight, those with a higher percentage of lean muscle tissue are less likely to gain weight. For example, people who do weightlifting have high muscle mass, which leads to a higher metabolism and makes it easier for them to burn calories than the average person.

Main functions of carbohydrates

The main function of carbohydrates is to provide energy. One gram of carbohydrates can produce four large calories, which allows the body to generate enough energy to maintain the functioning of internal tissues, brain thinking, and physical activities.

Sufficient calories can increase the utilization rate of protein, allowing protein to repair bodily functions and maintain physiological functions.

It also regulates fat metabolism and prevents ketoacidosis.

In addition, it also helps with the absorption of dietary fiber and lactose in the gastrointestinal tract.

carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy. When there are excess carbohydrates in the body, that is, when there are too many calories, carbohydrates will be converted into fat for storage to protect internal organs and to provide the energy needed when there is a lack of calories.

Carbohydrates can be classified as simple or complex.

The former is mainly found in refined sugars, such as sugarcane, candy, and fruit; the latter is mainly found in starchy foods, such as grains, bread, and potatoes, and is also known as polysaccharides.

In addition to starch, complex carbohydrates also include dietary fiber. Indigestible fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot absorb, but it has the functions of absorbing water, reducing fat absorption, and increasing gastrointestinal motility.

Does restricting sugar intake really lead to weight loss?

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for producing ATP, which supplies energy to cells in various tissues.

The body metabolizes carbohydrates first, and then fats and proteins.

Proteins require carbohydrates to digest in the body. If there are no carbohydrates, the body will turn to fats to break down proteins.

However, the process of fat metabolism also requires the energy generated from carbohydrate metabolism to power fat metabolism: without sugar, there is no energy and no ATP to power fat metabolism.

If fat is not metabolized by sugar, it is easy to produce ketone bodies due to metabolic abnormalities. Ketone bodies require a lot of water to be excreted from the body. The slight accumulation of ketoacids caused by not eating sugar for a day is not enough to cause poisoning. The increase of ketoacids in the body can promote urination, drain water, and reduce weight.

However, this effect is usually only needed for a short period of 1-2 days. It is absolutely forbidden to follow a sugar-free diet for several days or weeks in a row, as this can lead to ketoacidosis and serious conditions such as shock and coma.

Metabolism

Metabolic rate is actually the sum of basal metabolic rate, resting metabolic rate, food effect metabolic rate, and exercise metabolic rate.

Doctors point out that metabolism is the balance between the calories consumed, the calories used, and the calories burned. To maintain a balanced weight, the calories consumed should be less than the calories burned. Eating less and exercising more is to increase the metabolic rate, hoping to avoid storing too many calories and burn more calories.

Basal metabolism and resting metabolism are basically the same, the only difference is at the moment of waking up.

The resting metabolic rate refers to the amount of calories a person burns even when completely still, or in a sleep state, lying down. This includes activities such as heartbeat, breathing, maintaining basal body temperature, maintaining kidney function, and blood circulation. The calories burned during rest are called the resting metabolic rate.

Basal metabolic rate, in addition to the resting metabolic rate mentioned above, also includes the metabolic rate consumed during waking up, which consumes 10% more metabolic rate.

The food effect metabolic rate refers to the fact that not all of what we eat is converted into energy; a portion is used to burn energy. For example, when we eat, food is absorbed from the digestive tract, and the act of absorption requires energy. Metabolizing food into cells also requires energy.

In other words, some of the food we eat will be used up on its own; even drinking water requires energy to consume.

Another explanation is that we shiver when we are cold, and shivering also consumes heat, which can also be considered part of the food effect.