Metabolic Efficiency and Its Training Benefits

Metabolic efficiency is associated with fat burning of the body, both when it is at rest and during exercise. It is not similar to improving your metabolism rate. 

In other words, metabolic efficiency means improving the body's ability to use its stored energy more efficiently. Energy is saved inside the body in the form of a few carbohydrates and fat. With the proper daily nutrition and exercise the body is trained to use both carbohydrates and fat in a manner that these components work in favor of the body rather than increasing bodily issues.

What Is Metabolic Efficiency Training?

Originally conceptualized and created by Bob Seebohar (sports dietitian), metabolic efficiency training (MET) is a system of nutrition intervention and exercise prescription, aiming to improve the body's ability to utilize stored nutrients. Different kinds of dietary and exercise regimes are implemented strategically so that they possibly improve the body acceptance and usage of carbohydrates and fat irrespective of the state of the body. This training ensures that carbohydrates and fats are having a positive impact on health and athletic performance, even when the body is at the rest or is engaged in exercises.

Fact Files of Metabolic Efficiency Training

An average person approximately has 1400 - 2000 calories worth of carbohydrates stored in the body and around 50000-80000 calories stored as fat.

The aim of metabolic efficiency training is to oxidize/burn more carbohydrates or fats in a considerably short amount of time. The burning of carbohydrates allows the body to store more fat. Likewise, burning off more fat allows the body to store and preserve a small number of carbohydrates it already possesses.

Impact of MET on Wellbeing

Most of the time, people are unable to understand that uncontrolled blood sugar has a very significant negative impact on their health. Metabolic syndrome is only discussed in the context of health parameters, usually. Metabolic syndrome includes five risk factors that can incline the individual toward chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and stroke.

Five Risk Factors Include:

· High blood pressure

· High fasting blood glucose

· Low HDL

· Bigger waistline

· High triglycerides

In terms of science, if a person has three of these risk factors, they are classified to have metabolic syndrome and at a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. The presence of any one of these risk factors can significantly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

For this disease risk, metabolically efficient ways of eating in a controlled manner help to optimize blood sugar levels.

Fitness and Athlete Performance

Fitness can be defined as the ability of the body to do perform daily life activities successfully. And participating in various exercises to improve the cardio-respiratory system and strengthen the muscular system of the body. It is not necessary to participate in athletic competitions but adopting the metabolic efficiency training concept helps to improve the body from inside, increasing the mobility of the body.

Metabolic efficiency training for athletes aims at performance improvements. An athlete can be from any genre endurance, aesthetics, strength or power.

It was found out during metabolic efficiency testing, that a person has enough carbohydrate stored in the body that can supply energy for about 2 hours of moderately intense exercise. On the other hand, the almost unlimited fat stores in the body can supply energy to last for hours upon hours. This necessitates increasing the ability of the body to improve and utilize fat as energy as it is beneficial for health and performance. Fat can be burned at higher exercise intensities.

Metabolic Efficient Ways Help the Athlete In:

1) Decreasing body weight

2) Improve recovery

3) Decrease body fat

4) Improve and sustain energy level and mental alertness throughout the day

5) Improve cognitive function

6) Improve power to weight ratio

7) Improve exercising / running velocity

8) Enables better sleep

With the help of nutrition periodization, the overall health of the individual and athletic performance is improved with metabolic efficiency training.

MET uses tools throughout the year that are directed toward improving athletic performance.