How Does Metabolism Work After Age 40?

“Let MRC Daytona Create a Personalized Protein Forward Plan for You”

While many experts say a metabolic decline starts around age 40, some recent research suggests overall metabolism in both men and women remain relatively stable from age 20 to age 60 in humans. This has led to new discussions as to whether middle-age weight gain has more to do with lifestyle changes and hormonal disruptions, rather than solely being a biological slowdown. But, after 40, changes in how you use and store energy may reflect metabolic slowing.

For women, there are changes in estrogen that often leads to a redistribution of body fat composition, as more visceral fat begins to be stored in the abdominal region with less storing of subcutaneous fat in the hips and thighs. This rollercoaster ride is due in part to estrogen levels becoming erratic during perimenopause with wild fluctuations from very high spikes to dipping quite low before menopause sets in with estrogen levels generally in a steady decline.

For men, levels of the primary male sex hormone testosterone gradually start to decline about one to two percent each year between age 30 and 40. While testosterone levels were quite high through the man’s twenties, this reduction usually continues through age 40 and beyond. Once the hormonal descent starts, it often leads to lower energy levels, reduced libido, hair loss, increased deposits of body fat (particularly belly fat), and decreased energy-burning muscle mass.

How to support metabolic efficiency with biological aging...

Whether you see the need to focus on supporting your metabolic efficiency before or after age 40, working on certain lifestyle habits can help to effectively offset the biological changes being experienced. Naturally around this time in life, muscle mass begins to decline in both women and men. Strength training like lifting weight or performing exercises using resistance bands several times a week can help to preserve calorie-burning muscle mass and maintain a higher metabolic rate. So, aim to include high-quality protein sources at every meal. In addition, about this time in the normal aging process, men and women both are faced with increased levels of stress (cortisol) that can trigger the body to store more fat, especially around the midsection. Plus, excess stress hormone can trigger cravings for high-sugar, high-fat foods that lead to overeating and slower metabolic recovery. Increasing daily steps (walking) and staying active throughout the day around age 40 can help to maintain energy expenditure.

PERSONALIZED MENUS WITH PROTEIN FORWARD FOODS

To restore metabolic efficiency, your protein-forward menu plan should prioritize lean sources of protein that contain the essential amino acids necessary for restoring metabolic health and wellbeing. Complete proteins stabilize blood sugar to prevent fat storage by minimizing insulin spikes that provide a key chemical signal for your body to store energy as fat, rather than burn it. In addition to preventing excess glucose from being converted into adipose tissue, lower insulin levels allow your body to access and burn stored fat for energy.

Since your body cannot produce the nine essential amino acids on its own, they must come from your daily diet. So personalized menus should provide high-quality sources of protein like lean animal products paired with low-carb whole foods. These proteins are essential for repairing muscle tissue, building new muscle mass, and can include lean beef, poultry (turkey, chicken breast), fatty fish (salmon, tuna), pasture-raised eggs, dairy (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese), and plant-based (edamame, tofu, quinoa). Remember, you can pair foods within the same day to ensure essential amino acids are consumed.

Unlike carbohydrates and fats, protein is a powerful macronutrient that is not stored by your body. That means it is important to include the right amounts of protein throughout the day to support your body’s metabolic needs. As an age-related issue, consuming key amounts of protein (protein pacing) at meal time helps prevent muscle loss (sarcopenia) to help ensure mobility and continued independence later in life. Protein also drives crucial biological functions as you age, including the production of key enzymes, hormones, and immune system antibodies.

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Although a recent study suggests the calories your body burns at rest remains more stable between ages 20 to 60 years of age than was previously thought, around age 40 both biological and lifestyle shifts occur that make weight management feel more difficult for both women and men. A primary driver of these metabolic changes could be the timing, when the body naturally starts to lose lean muscle mass (sarcopenia). This can definitely lead to weight gain as a pound of muscle is metabolically more active than a pound of fat. If you’re trying to decide whether a prescription-based weight loss plan or a more holistic metabolic weight loss program is right for you, contact MRC Daytona today. One of our weight loss coaches will be in touch to discuss how hormone imbalances, genetic factors and key lifestyle habits may have slowed your metabolism and led to unintended weight gain. After all, hormonal balance can be restored and disrupted metabolic rates can be reset with a personalized approach.