The Differences Between Fast Metabolism and Slow Metabolism Tests
If you've got a metabolism that you just can't figure out, we understand. Everyone's metabolism is different. Plus, your metabolism can change over time and often does. You've probably noticed that you gain weight easier now that you're older than you did when you were in your teens, and this is completely normal. In fact, this is typical for many people. However, if you're a younger person and gain weight easily, there's no need to fret, as that's also common.
You've probably heard that people with a fast metabolism can eat anything and get away with it -- but why is this? How does a person's metabolism work? What is metabolism testing? We know you probably have a lot of questions, so without any further ado let's dive in.
Fast Metabolism Vs. Slow Metabolism
Metabolism is a term that's thrown around quite a bit, but for all intents and purposes, it describes the internal process of how your body uses energy and gets rid of calories. This includes blood circulating through the body, breathing, and your organs functioning. A person with a fast metabolism might have a body with more muscle mass that uses more energy to perform everyday tasks than someone with a slow metabolism, meaning they need to consume more calories to keep everything stable. Think of a fast metabolism as a gas-guzzling pickup truck and a slow metabolism as a fuel-efficient smart car -- the pickup truck needs more fuel to function!
Someone with a fast metabolism burns calories faster naturally, while someone with a slow metabolism burns them more slowly. However, most people have average metabolisms, meaning they align with the 2,000 calorie diet which is recommended for most people.
What this means is two people with different metabolisms who eat the same amount of food will absorb calories differently. A young, busy athlete might need to eat twice as much as someone ten years older who lives a sedentary lifestyle to maintain the same amount of weight as them. However, age plays a key role in how your metabolism functions. Typically speaking, the older you get, the more your metabolism slows down.
What Determines the Kind of Metabolism You Have?
This news might be disappointing, but your metabolism is mostly influenced by genetics. Since you can't do much to change your DNA, there's no real way to alter how your metabolism functions. However, diet and exercise play huge roles in how your body absorbs nutrients and converts food into energy, so knowing what kind of metabolism you have can make it much easier to achieve your ideal weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle -- regardless of the metabolism you were born with.
How Can You Find Out What Kind of Metabolism You Have?
If you find yourself full after smaller meals or don't seem to need to eat that much to live a normal life, then you might have a slow metabolism. The same is true if you don't feel like you eat that much but still struggle with weight gain or find it difficult to lose weight. However, it would be best to consider how much exercise you get and examine the amount of calories you're taking in on average. You might not need that much fuel because you don't use that much energy on a regular basis. However, if you're constantly hungry and can snack all day and never seem to gain any weight, then you probably have a faster metabolism.
Metabolism tests are, without a doubt, the easiest way to know for sure what kind of metabolism you're working with. While it's fairly obvious for most people, sometimes other factors get in the way and make it difficult to know for sure. Factors that can affect how your metabolism functions include the kind of food you're eating, the amount of activity you perform every day, and any illnesses or medical conditions you might have. Metabolism tests can set your mind at ease and confirm whether you have a fast metabolism or a slow one.
What Kinds of Metabolic Testing Is There?
Lab Tests
While home tests might seem to be a convenient option when it comes to conducting any sort of test, this isn't really the case. They come with a list of problems. First and foremost, they are not entirely reliable. The samples are not collected by trained technicians in an appropriate environment. It's very easy for at-home tests to show incorrect results. Second, those tests are not generally accepted by doctors and hospitals. If you were to show those results to your doctor, they would most likely recommend that you repeat the testing with a blood draw at a national lab. Third, only a limited number of tests are available that restrict the insight into your health.
Our comprehensive metabolic testing solution does not suffer from any of these problems. All of our tests are considered highly accurate and reliable. They are also accepted by all doctors and health organizations, unlike at-home tests. Why? Because the samples are gathered and tested in the same way as doctors expect them to be. All samples are handled by certified professionals in a certified institution. All of those certifications help guarantee quality and accuracy.
Metabolic Discovery Panel - It contains 8 tests with 68 biomarkers. This comprehensive set of tests helps assess your metabolism. Are you storing too much fat and sugar or perhaps too little? Are you insulin resistant with subsequent inflammation? You can run this panel to discover whether your diet, fitness, and nutritional habits are providing you the metabolic health and longevity you deserve. Don't settle for one-size-fits-all health advice. Your diet, fitness lifestyle, and nutritional intake should improve your energy, weight, and inner metabolic health. But don't merely trust it's working. Run this Metabolic Discovery panel quarterly to take a snapshot of your insulin response, blood sugars, and lipids and adjust your lifestyle based upon your results.
- CBC (includes Differential and Platelets)
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) includes fasting Glucose
- Ferritin
- Hemoglobin A1c
- Insulin
- Lipid Panel with Ratios
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
- Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy, Total, Immunoassay
The Metabolic Discovery Comprehensive Panel - It contains 15 tests with 78 biomarkers and all of the tests in the Metabolic Discovery Panel, plus:
- Adiponectin
- Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)
- Leptin
- T3, Free
- T4, Free
- TSH
Metabolism Lab Panel - it contains 6 tests with 27 biomarkers.
- Fasting Insulin
- Glucose (In CMP)
- Hemoglobin A1c
- TSH
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
RMR Testing
There are various methods used to test what kind of metabolism a person has. These include determining a person's resting metabolic rate, or RMR. This refers to how many calories your body burns while at rest. Someone with a faster metabolism will burn more calories while doing nothing at all.
VO2 Max Testing
Another kind of metabolic testing measures your maximum volume of oxygen, or VO2 Max, which refers to how your body utilizes oxygen while exercising. An athletic person will have a higher VO2 max and therefore have a higher capacity for high-intensity exercise, while someone who doesn't exercise all that much won't use oxygen as effectively.
Lactate Threshold Testing
When your muscles become fatigued, this is due to a buildup of lactic acid, which your body makes when it can't use oxygen to produce energy. Usually, a buildup occurs during exercise. While your body naturally eliminates lactic acid, when exercising you will eventually reach a point where your body is making too much to be eliminated, causing you to become tired and your muscles to feel strained, stiff, and tired. Your lactate threshold refers to when your body is producing lactic acid in the blood faster than it can eliminate it.
How Do I Test My Metabolism?
Ulta Lab Tests offers highly accurate and reliable tests so you can make informed decisions about your health.
- Secure and confidential results
- No insurance referral is needed
- Affordable pricing
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Order your metabolism lab tests today, and your results will be provided to you securely and confidentially online in 24 to 48 hours for most tests.
Take control of your health today with Ulta Lab Tests.
