I very often get asked questions relating to metabolism and how it is affected by diet and exercise. There seems to be a great deal of confusion about metabolism, so I hope to clarify some of the main questions clients come to me with.

So firstly, let’s address the question at the forefront of your mind: ‘What is your ‘metabolism’?

Your metabolism is the sum of all of the chemical reactions taking place within your body. Your metabolism can be viewed as your ‘internal furnace’. Your metabolism is comprised of 3 main components: -

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - The amount of energy required to maintain basic life processes. In sedentary populations, BMR accounts for around 60% of total daily energy expenditure (see diagram below).

• Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - The amount of calories you burn digesting and absorbing your food.

• Activity Thermogenesis - Can be split into Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) and exercise-related activity. NEAT refers to any energy expenditure of daily living that is not formal activity, such as walking to work, taking stairs, fidgeting, shopping etc.