13 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Naturally
Yes, You Can Increase Your Metabolic Rate | And Burn More Calories, According to Science
Looking for ways to boost metabolism naturally with methods proven and backed by science?
What a dumb question, of course you are. This is a pretty comprehensive list, so buckle up.
As you probably know, you lose fat by feeding your body less than you burn. So let’s stoke that metabolic fire and burn a few extra calories.
In case you didn’t know: Metabolism is what turns food into fuel, and the higher it is, the more calories you burn on a daily basis. Lucky for you, your metabolism isn’t set in stone and there are ways you can boost it.
1. Don't Skimp on Sleep:
I know, I know, easier said than done but if you can TRY to get more sleep, I promise you won’t regret it. Poor sleep will wreak havoc on your metabolism and cause it to slow down. Which is the opposite of our goal here.
Sleep to Boost Metabolism: The Science
• Energy regulation: Sleep influences the balance between energy intake and expenditure. Lack of sleep can disrupt this balance. Have you ever noticed that when you get less sleep you tend to feel hungrier during the day? I know I have.
And not only that, because you’re so tired, your energy expenditure is lower also. You tend to move less, and burn less calories overall when you’re exhausted. This is no bueno for metabolism.
• Secondly, hormones: I’m not even going to get deep into this because hormones are complicated, but what you need to know is that sleep influences the secretion of various hormones involved in metabolism, like insulin, cortisol, leptin and ghrelin. These can affect appetite, glucose, and energy.
• Body temperature: Also, this is a weird one, did you know that sleep helps regulate body temperature, which in turn affects metabolic rate?
This can potentially affect the efficiency of your metabolism. If you need tips on how to get better sleep, I’ve got a few videos with some tips and tricks linked below:
Watch Now:
Things to Buy For Better Sleep
2. Have More Muscle and Lift Weights:
Simply having more muscle tissue in general burns more calories than fat tissue does. Just existing in this world with more muscle automatically helps your metabolic rate.
So, if you aren’t lifting heavy things on a regular basis, your metabolism can greatly benefit from you doing so. Incorporate strength training exercises into your life.
Ideally you would lift weights 3-5 times per week to build muscle and boost metabolism.
BONUS: After a weightlifting session, your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate as it works to repair muscle tissue, replenish energy stores, and restore oxygen levels.
This increased calorie expenditure can last for hours or even days after your workout, contributing to an overall increase in metabolism.
Bring on the dumbbells.
3. Don't Eat Less:
You’ll actually be doing more damage than good in the long run if you’re significantly under eating.
The opposite is also true. Because your metabolism will adapt to how much you’re eating, it will speed up as you feed your body more.
It’s important to note that this process doesn’t happen overnight. Your body will slowly adapt over time to maintain homeostasis.
So the key here is to be gradual. You’ve probably heard of yo yo dieting, and we do NOT want that.
4. Protein. Protein. Protein.
Not only is a high protein diet extremely beneficial to gaining muscle, which we now know we need. But your body actually burns more calories digesting protein vs. fat or carbs. It’s a win win.
In general to gain muscle you want to eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of goal body weight.
So if your goal weight is 200 pounds, you should be getting 200 grams of protein per day.
5. Eat Whole Foods:
And just like with protein, Your body will burn more calories processing whole foods vs processed foods.
Because of the higher fiber content in whole foods, your body will need to work more to process and digest these nutrients.
So, make your body work for that meal and burn more calories while you digest your dinner.
6. Foods & Supplements:
Taking certain supplements, and herbs can help you burn an extra 100-300 calories per day or more. While there are no magic pills out there, if you’re looking for a little bit of a boost, these might be good tools to consider.
Get a personalized supplement guide: Legion Athletics Supplement Quiz
Supplements that Boost Metabolism
There are actually a lot of things out there, but I’m just going to name a few popular ones:
• Cayenne Pepper: Contains a compound called capsaicin, which has been shown to modestly increase energy expenditure. It also stimulates thermogenesis, a process in your body that generates heat which can temporarily boost metabolism.
• Black Ginger: Has been widely used in Thailand as a traditional medicine. Black ginger has the potential to increasing energy expenditure and reduce fatigue, as well as decrease fat storage in the body.
• Green Tea/EGCG: You could drink 4 cups of green tea. Or if you don’t like the taste, you can take the supplement EGCG.
Many of the health benefits associated with green tea come from chemical found in large amounts in green tea called EGCG. This is the compound that can boost metabolism and is often taken for weight loss.
The effective dose is 300 mg per day, and to get my daily EGCG, I usually have a matcha latte with 2 tsps of ceremonial grade matcha green tea.
Matcha Kari: Barista Grade Matcha
• Synephrin: is a natural component of bitter orange Increases resting metabolic rate, and boosts the breakdown of fat cells. Studies also show that synephrine pairs well with caffeine, so take it with your morning coffee to increase the metabolic benefits of both.
• Yohimbine: is a naturally occurring substance found in several types of plants. It enhances fat loss by increasing metabolic rate and can specifically targets stubborn fat.
For example, the fat on your stomach, hip and thighs that you can never seem to get rid of. Yohimbine also helps your body’s natural fat-burning chemicals work more effectively.
*There is a catch though, and that’s that it doesn’t work if your insulin levels are elevated. So, you have to take Yohimbine before you workout in a fasted state.
• Grains of Paradise: Can enhance metabolic function. It’s been shown to decrease visceral fat levels and increase energy expenditure.
I do personally take two supplements that contain some of these ingredients:
Phoenix by Legion Athletics: Contains Black Ginger and Grains of Paradise, as well as many other beneficial fat burning ingredients to boost metabolism.
Forge by Legion Athletics: I take before a fasted workout because it contains Yohimbine and Synephrin, both of which will boost metabolism.
7. Be Hydrated:
Even mild dehydration slows your metabolism. But don’t just chug regular water, make sure to add a pinch of sodium (celtic sea salt) for electrolytes and optimal hydration.
8. Do Some Cardio, but not too much:
Moderate-intensity, steady-state cardio is just as good at boosting your metabolism, as sprinting your heart out.
But, power walking is much easier to recover from than a 30 minute HIIT session. If you love your high intensity interval training, then by all means, go for it. However, it’s not necessary for metabolism boosting benefits.
The sweet spot for metabolism and fat burning is 2-3 hours of cardio per week.
Bonus Tip: Split up your weight session, and your cardio into two different sessions. For example, doing your cardio in the morning and your weight lifting in the evening will do even more to boost metabolism and help your body to recover more efficiently from both.
9. Don't Stack Rest Days:
Doing no exercise at all for two days in a row, can slow your metabolism down. Try to get enough rest days throughout your week, because we do not want burn out, but just don’t take them back to back.
10. Don’t Sit Too Much:
Great, you worked out this morning, but that doesn’t mean you should sit for the other 12 hours of the day. Research has shown that taking breaks from sitting helps you burn more calories overall. We benefit greatly from moving throughout our day.
Even tapping your foot, or fidgeting will burn more calories than someone who sits still.
And, did you know, that you burn about 50 calories more per hour standing vs sitting?
11. Boost Metabolism with Cold Exposure:
Yes, cold exposure can increase metabolism. It works through thermogenesis, which is what I mentioned earlier with the Cayenne Pepper.
When the body is exposed to cold, it generates heat to maintain its core temperature, which requires energy. And, this increased energy expenditure can boost metabolism.
Cold exposure can also triggers hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline, which can stimulate the metabolism as well, and breakdown stored fat for energy.
So, take a cold shower, or ice bath I guess?
12. Boost Metabolism with Heat Exposure:
Yes, heat exposure can also boost metabolism. In hotter conditions, the body may require more energy to process food, leading to a slight increase in metabolism.
Just like with cold, heat exposure can lead to an increase in energy expenditure as the body works to maintain its core temperature. This would be seen when your body is sweating to try to cool itself down for example.
So before your cold shower, you could spend some time in the sauna?
13. Meditation: Indirectly Boost Metabolism
Meditation itself doesn’t directly boost metabolism like exercise or temperature extremes but, meditation can have indirect effects on metabolism through its other positive impacts.
For example, stress reduction, improved sleep quality, mental well-being, and lifestyle choices. It’s something to consider on the quest to health and wellness.
Bottom Line: A balanced diet, regular physical activity, and overall healthy lifestyle habits are going to be your key factors in getting and maintaining a healthy metabolism. You can absolutely boost metabolism naturally by incorporating as many of these tips into your lifestyle as possible.
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Studies: Boost Metabolism
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- Loprinzi, P. D., Cardinal, B. J. (2011). Association between objectively-measured physical activity and sleep, NHANES 2005–2006. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 4(2) Issue 2, 65-69.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1755296611000317
Greer, S. M., Goldstein, A. N., & Walker, M. P. (2013). The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain. Nature communications, 4, 2259.
- Taheri, S. (2010). The link between short sleep duration and obesity: We should recommend more sleep to prevent obesity. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2010, 270832. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/270832
- Poehlman, E. T., Dvorak, R. V., DeNino, W. F., Brochu, M., & Ades, P. A. (2000). Effects of resistance training and endurance training on insulin sensitivity in nonobese, young women: A controlled randomized trial. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 85(7), 2463-2468. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.85.7.6671
- Stanford, K. I., & Goodyear, L. J. (2009). Exercise and type 2 diabetes: Molecular mechanisms regulating glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Advances in Physiology Education, 33(4), 207-212. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00064.2009
- Hall, K. D., & Guo, J. (2008). Obesity energetics: Body weight regulation and the effects of diet composition. Gastroenterology, 134(1), 170-181. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2007.11.051
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Zheng, J., Zheng, S., Feng, Q., Zhang, Q., & Xiao, X. (2017). Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications. Bioscience Reports, 37(3). https://doi.org/10.1042/bsr20170286
Campa, F., Piras, A., Raffi, M., Trofè, A., Perazzolo, M., Mascherini, G., & Toselli, S. (2020). The Effects of Dehydration on Metabolic and Neuromuscular Functionality during Cycling. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1161. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041161
Hawley, J. A. (2009). Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: Are they incompatible?This paper article is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 14th International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference – Muscles as Molecular and Metabolic Machines, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism/Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 34(3), 355–361. https://doi.org/10.1139/h09-023
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Thanks so much for sharing these tips on how to boost your metabolism, something I need to doI I especially like the one about splitting cardio and weight training into two separate workouts!