What is metabolic flexibility and why is it important?
What Is Metabolic Flexibility
Metabolic flexibility is when your body is able to easily utilise any or some combination of the fuel types it has at its disposal, being able to swap fuel sources when one type runs out to continue delivering a strong stream of energy without compromise to the individual.
Most of the population tend to favour a fuel source (ie. getting most of their energy from either Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats, etc) and combined with other lifestyle factors (like the amount of stress, sleep, exercise, etc) this predisposition to only run on one particular fuel source can cause a dependency that over time harms your mitochondria (energy cells of the body) and can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, low levels of HDL cholesterol and insulin resistance. These factors are often indicative of diseases like diabetes and may indicate the potential for stroke and cardiovascular heart disease.
Speaking of looking after your body, the benefits of contrast therapy are proven to aid your body’s recovery after training at the gym.
Even people that don’t hold excess weight can suffer from metabolic inflexibility. Symptoms can include feeling “hangry” (ie. becoming irritable when you haven’t eaten/snacked), consistent fatigue (especially during that mid-afternoon crash), brain fog, or experiencing insatiable periods of hunger that lead to cravings and binging on unhealthy foods.
Exercising regularly is one of the best habits to adopt to improve your metabolic flexibility. Improving your MF will condition your body to tap into any fuel it has available at the given time it requires without resulting in significant dips in energy levels, weight gain that is stubborn to shift, or the inability to put on valuable muscle. These consequences are what has been popularly termed as ‘middle-age spread’ or ‘slow metabolism’ and are strongly correlated with the appearance of belly fat (as fat around the midsection accumulates around the organs and demonstrates a higher risk for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease).
Unfortunately, these features are no longer the hallmark of middle age. More and more young people are showing signs of insulin resistance in the form of significant weight gain, brain fog, high cholesterol, and blood pressure, insatiable cravings, and ‘hangry-ness’, signifying the beginning of poor metabolic health.
Our weekly classes are designed to encourage Metabolic Flexibility as they specifically exercise each of your body’s energy systems over the course of the week (ATP-PCR/Glycolytic/Oxidative) training your system over time to easily swap and tap into what is available under different types of demand.
The practice of using each fuel structure with regularity encourages total system health by directly impacting your ability to shift stubborn weight, develop shapely muscle, increase youthful hormones and stave off cellular aging. It also promotes general physical preparedness for everything life throws at you. Whether you are trying to lose fat, create muscle, or improve sleep and lower stress - we’ve got you covered with our range of classes designed specifically for you to hit these target goals.
Check out our Fast Twitch Group Fitness Studio in Adelaide
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