05: Metabolic Changes in Menopause
EP. 05
Metabolism is a term that’s often thrown around in health and fitness circles. You've likely heard phrases like “your metabolism slows with age” or “she can eat what she wants because of a fast metabolism.”
But what does metabolism really mean for your body?
In this blog, we explore its dynamic nature—it changes with age, hormones, and lifestyle, especially during critical life stages like menopause. We'll discuss how diet, exercise, stress, and genetics impact metabolic health, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. If you're looking to understand your metabolism better and navigate these changes effectively, read on to uncover insights that empower you to manage your metabolic health with confidence.
Listen to the full episode:
Understanding Metabolism: An Introduction
If you look up the pure definition of metabolism in the dictionary, it's described as a series of chemical reactions in our bodies that convert food and oxygen into energy. While that sounds straightforward, what does it actually mean?
I like to think about metabolism in the context of a savings account and a checking account. There are two main categories of metabolism: anabolism and catabolism.
Anabolism: The Savings Account
Anabolism is like the body's savings account. It involves storing energy and building up the body in various ways. You've probably heard the term "anabolic steroids" in the context of bodybuilders using them to build muscle. Anabolism is all about creating and storing—whether it's muscle mass, fat, or other tissues. It also involves repairing the body, helping it recover and maintain itself.
Catabolism: The Checking Account
On the flip side, catabolism is like the body's checking account. This is where the body spends its resources, breaking down molecules to release energy. This process can involve breaking down fat, glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, or even muscle tissue itself to fuel the body.
These two processes, anabolism and catabolism, regulate all our normal body functions. They ensure we can breathe, circulate blood, digest food, grow and repair cells, and manage hormone levels. Additionally, they help regulate body temperature, maintaining the stable environment necessary for all these processes to occur normally.
Metabolism vs. Basal Metabolic Rate
What is the difference between metabolism and basal metabolic rate?
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Imagine spending an entire day on the couch doing nothing—those calories burned just by sitting there make up your BMR. About 10% of the calories you burn daily come from digesting food. The remaining calories are burned through physical activity.
When something disrupts this process, our bodies respond to protect us. This adaptability showcases the intelligence of our bodies—they are built to safeguard us. Let’s explore this through a few examples.
Example 1: Female Athletes
Female athletes training at high levels often experience tremendous physical stress. This stress can cause their menstrual periods to stop, a phenomenon called amenorrhea. This occurs because the body, sensing extreme stress, conserves energy by stopping reproductive functions. It’s a protective mechanism ensuring the body prioritizes survival over reproduction during intense stress.
Example 2: The Biggest Loser
Contestants on the TV show The Biggest Loser competed to lose the highest percentage of their body weight through extreme diets and rigorous exercise routines. While many contestants achieved significant weight loss by the show's end, the conditions were extreme.
A study released in 2016, twelve years after the show first aired, revealed that most contestants regained their weight, often surpassing their initial weight. This rebound effect highlights how metabolic processes adapt under extreme conditions and can revert once those conditions are removed. It underscores the importance of sustainable lifestyle changes over extreme measures.
The Brain's Role in Weight Maintenance
So, what happened with the contestants from The Biggest Loser? The extreme weight loss didn't align well with the brain's processes. Our brain is a powerful tool that plays a crucial role in determining our weight set point—the weight at which your body naturally stabilizes. When you start a weight loss journey, your brain perceives your starting weight as the baseline and strives to return you to that weight.
For example, if you start at 250 pounds and drop to 220 pounds, that's a 30-pound loss, more than 10% of your body weight. Your brain perceives this significant loss as a threat to survival, thinking, "What is going on? Why have we lost so much weight?" It then works to bring you back to the original weight.
This resistance from the brain explains why weight loss plateaus are common and necessary. When you hit a plateau, your brain is adjusting to your new weight. It needs time to accept 220 pounds as the new set point before you can lose more weight. This adjustment period can last from several weeks to a few years. It's crucial to remain consistent with your diet and exercise during this time to signal to your brain that this new weight is safe and sustainable.
Before the pandemic, I lost 25 pounds through diet and exercise. I then hit a plateau and didn't lose any more weight for three years, despite maintaining my healthy habits. Understanding that my brain was adjusting helped me stay patient. However, many people get frustrated and give up when they hit a plateau, leading to yo-yo dieting. It's essential to be consistent during this period to help your brain establish a new set point.
Contestants on The Biggest Loser lost a significant amount of weight over just 30 weeks, an incredibly rapid change. This speed caused their brains to go into overdrive, working to return them to their baseline weight. The 2016 study on these contestants showed that many regained their weight because maintaining such extreme dieting and exercise was unsustainable. The brain, thinking it was protecting them, drove them back to their starting weight.
Metabolic Changes During Perimenopause and Menopause
During menopause, levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decline. Estrogen, in particular, plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism. As estrogen levels decrease, so does the metabolic rate. Another significant change is the redistribution of fat in the body.
Fat Distribution and Inflammation
Lower estrogen levels cause fat to shift from the hips and thighs to the abdominal area, specifically into the abdominal cavity, resulting in visceral fat. This type of fat is highly inflammatory and can disrupt metabolic processes. Additionally, body composition changes during menopause, leading to increased fat mass and a harder time maintaining muscle mass.
Insulin Resistance and Blood Sugar
These body changes can also lead to insulin resistance, where the body's cells become less responsive to insulin. This can cause blood sugar levels to rise and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Decreased Energy Expenditure
As basal metabolic rate decreases, overall energy expenditure goes down. Aging also reduces the number of calories burned through digestion. Physical activity often decreases due to menopause symptoms like fatigue, hot flashes, and joint pain, contributing to weight gain and further reductions in metabolic rate.
Increased Appetite and Emotional Eating
Hormonal changes during menopause can affect appetite regulation, leading to increased hunger. Additionally, psychological changes such as mood swings, stress, and emotional fluctuations can contribute to emotional eating, further complicating weight management.
Understanding these metabolic shifts is crucial for developing strategies to manage weight and maintain health during perimenopause and menopause. By recognizing these changes, we can better address the challenges and support our bodies through this transition.
In the context of metabolism, factors like family history and genetics also play a huge role. If obesity runs in your family, or you have a family history of diabetes and PCOS, this can affect your metabolism as well.
Getting Back on Track: Strategies for Restoring Metabolic Balance
The first step to restoring metabolic balance is identifying the root cause—whether it’s genetic or environmental. Often, it's a combination of both. Think of your genetics as the hand of cards you're dealt in life. And like any game, learning and applying the right strategies can lead to success.
Here are five key strategies to navigate metabolic changes during menopause:
1. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Aim for 80 to 90 grams of protein per day.
Get enough fiber from fruits and vegetables.
Drink plenty of water.
Once you have these basics covered, consider swapping out added sugars and refined starches (like white flour and white rice) for complex carbohydrates. This can increase fiber intake and help regulate blood sugar levels.
2. Move Your Body and Build Muscle
Physical activity is crucial. It not only burns calories but also helps maintain muscle mass, which keeps your metabolic rate stable. Incorporate strength training to build or maintain muscle.
3. Manage Stress Levels
Stress is a major factor in weight gain, primarily because it increases cortisol levels. Our constantly connected world makes it difficult for cortisol levels to return to normal. Elevated cortisol often results in weight gain around the abdomen, leading to visceral fat and associated metabolic changes.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is vital but often neglected. Poor sleep raises cortisol levels, which can contribute to weight gain. Avoiding screen time before bed can improve sleep quality. Good sleep hygiene is essential for managing weight and overall health.
5. Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
HRT can be a life-changing tool for women navigating menopause, but it’s not suitable for everyone. If HRT is not an option, remember that you still have four other strategies to help manage symptoms and improve body composition. Additionally, non-hormonal medications can address specific issues that lifestyle changes alone might not resolve.
By focusing on these key areas, you can better manage the metabolic changes that come with menopause and support your overall health and well-being.
Key Takeaways:
Metabolism creates energy for the body to survive and thrive.
BMR is the number of calories burned at rest, influenced by age, gender, muscle mass, and genetics. Daily calorie burn also comes from digestion and physical activity.
Menopause slows down BMR due to hormonal changes and body composition shifts.
Symptoms like joint pain, hot flashes, and mood changes can reduce physical activity and disrupt sleep.
Genetic predispositions for conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease may worsen during menopause.
New Book Recommendation:
The Inner Clock: Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms by Lynne Peeples