In this video we discuss the 4 components of metabolism, or energy expenditure, BMR, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, exercise, and the thermic effect of food.
Transcript/notes
Metabolism, in simple terms, is the chemical processes that take place as your body converts food and drinks into energy. We often think of metabolism, or metabolic rate as how fast or how many calories our body burns off in a certain time period.
A better way to look at this is total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. And there are 4 components to energy expenditure, basal metabolic rate, or BMR, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, often referred to as NEAT, exercise or intentional activity, and the thermic effect of food, or TEF. Now lets take a look at these.
Bmr, or basal metabolic rate is basically the energy or calories needed at rest, or, to perform necessary bodily functions. So, if you were to lie still, not move and do nothing, the calories you would burn, would be your BMR. Research suggests that the only way to truly increase your BMR is to gain muscle mass, as muscle burns 3 times as many calories as fat. And BMR is the largest part of metabolism for most people, on average, it is 50 to 70% of their daily caloric expenditure.
Next is NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis. NEAT is basically any movement that you do in a day, that is not intentional exercise, and this is typically around 20% of energy expenditure, depending on the individual. So, this could be cleaning the house, taking the dog for a walk, working in the yard, or if you have a labor intensive job, that would be considered NEAT. Increasing your NEAT is simply about moving more, parking further away in parking lots, sitting less, or taking daily walks are some ways to increase your NEAT.
Exercise is the next component of energy expenditure. Exercise can account for 10 to 20% of energy expenditure, and exercise can be aerobic or cardio exercise such as running, playing sports, or any exercise that elevates your heart rate over a certain period of time. Exercise can also be strength training sessions, done with free weights, resistance bands, body weight or machines. And consistent exercise can not only benefit daily energy expenditure, but it can lead to gains in muscle mass, which can help increase BMR or daily calories burned at rest.
And the last component of energy expenditure is the thermic effect of food, or TEF, which is the energy used during the process of digestion, or the break down and absorption of foods eaten. This typically accounts for 10% of calories burned. Research suggests that the TEF for protein is the highest at between 20 to 30% of calories burned through processing, so if you eat 100 calories of protein, 20 to 30 calories will be used in digestion. The TEF for carbohydrates is believed to be between 5 and 10%, depending on the types of carbs eaten, as simple, highly processed carbs are digested quickly. And the TEF for fats is estimated at 0 to 3%. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, where as carbs and protein contain 4 calories per gram, so gram for gram, fats have more than double the energy, or calories than carbs or protein. Keep in mind that these are all estimates and can very greatly depending on the individual.
One note, if you want to increase your total daily energy expenditure, there are several things you can do, exercise consistently, move more, outside of exercise, on a daily basis, increase or at least maintain muscle mass, consume an adequate amount of protein, and eat more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which in most cases contain fiber, which can also be beneficial, and minimize simple, processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.
Timestamps
0:00 What is metabolism?
0:14 What is TDEE - total daily energy expenditure
0:35 BMR explained
1:05 NEAT - non-exercise activity thermogenesis explained
1:35 Exercise component of TDEE
2:07 TEF - thermic effect of food explained
3:01 How to increase metabolism or TDEE
