Why Your Metabolism Doesn’t Slow Down After 30: What’s Really Going On – Muscle Mass and Fitness

For many of us, reaching our thirties is marked by gaining a few pounds of unwanted body fat while dealing with the pressures of a burgeoning family and professional career. The story that our metabolisms are working against us as we age may provide comfort that the rising numbers on the scale are a product of nature and not our own negative choices, but this story we tell ourselves may not be entirely true, explains evidence-backed fitness coach Jeff Nippard.

“What happens to your metabolism when you turn 30 or 40?” the astute fitness expert asked his 3.4 million followers via a recent Instagram post. “Maintaining a slim body can certainly become more difficult as we get older.”

Nippard knows this evolutionary experience all too well. “I just turned 35, and I definitely can’t eat as many calories as I did when I was 25,” he admitted. So there you have it: our metabolism makes it difficult to maintain a lean body, right? Not so fast, the natural bodybuilder and powerlifter explained. “Most people assume this is because their basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is decreasing. But there’s actually something else going on.”

Your metabolism slows down, but much slower than you think

While it may be comforting to lean into the idea that our declining metabolism poses an insurmountable challenge, Nippard points out that science generally disagrees. “This gigantic study of more than 6,000 people was found that basal metabolic rate, per pound of lean body mass, was actually quite stable from age 20 through age 60,” he concluded. Do you need a second opinion? Nippard has the solution for you.”This other large study by Geisler et alfound the same basic thing. Basic metabolic rate declined slightly during middle age, but only by about 1 to 2 percent. Nothing you should notice,” he said, sharing the good and not-so-bad news. Still, a burning question remains to be answered. Why do so many people feel like their metabolism slows down in middle age?

The real reason why many people gain weight in their thirties and forties

While a stalled metabolism may provide some comfort, this flawed story we tell ourselves does nothing for future fitness levels. “Well, if you lift less in your thirties, as many do, you lose muscle mass,” Nippard explains. “This can contribute to a slower metabolism, but mainly comes from a change in lifestyle. Many people exercise less, sit more and snack more as they get older. That means the good news is staying active, exercising and watching your diet can offset all those small metabolic changes.” Don’t just take the smart Canadian’s word for it. Science has found it too that a slowing metabolism may be a result of the inflammation caused by poor lifestyle choices, rather than age itself. While recommend physical activity guidelines adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week, 75 to 150

minutes per week of vigorous exercise, or a combination of both, Recent studies have shown this that if adults take more than the recommended amount, it can lower their risk of death. Moderate physical activity is defined as walking, weight lifting, and lower-intensity exercise, while vigorous exercise is categorized as running, cycling, and swimming. Aesthetics aside, those who embrace an active lifestyle tend to live longer, so when it comes to living a healthier, fitter existence, why not write your own story?