6 Ways Your Body Tells You Your Metabolism Is Slowing Down

Metabolism refers to how the body uses and stores energy, and everything your body does, from maintaining its temperature, to moving, breathing, digesting food, and circulating blood rely on energy that comes from the foods you eat. Your body both builds and breaks down macronutrients to use or store energy for later, and with time, your metabolism may slow and cause symptoms, like energy level and digestive issues.

Jump to Key Takeaways.

6 Signs of a Slow Metabolism

It’s easy to miss or write off signs of a slow metabolism since they can overlap with so many other conditions. A healthcare provider can help evaluate any symptoms to determine if underlying medical conditions or nutritional deficiencies may be affecting your metabolism.

Low Energy Levels

A slow metabolism can lead to feelings of low energy or fatigue. People with hypothyroidism, or low thyroid levels, and vitamin deficiencies commonly experience fatigue due to slow metabolism.

Difficulty Losing Weight

Metabolism and weight are linked. Your metabolic rate determines the amount of calories you need per day to keep an energy balance. Your body stores additional calories as fat. People with a slow metabolic rate may have difficulty losing weight. Increasing your overall physical activity and doing muscle-building exercises can help you burn more calories.

Hair and Nail Changes

Your hair and nails are constantly growing, with new protein and cell growth. This process requires energy, and is compromised with a slow metabolism. Medical conditions that generally slow metabolism, like hypothyroidism, as well as nutritional deficiencies can slow down hair and nail growth, leading to brittle nails and hair thinning.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms

A slow metabolism can also slow down digestion. Food spends longer time in the gastrointestinal tract (slow transit time). This can lead to constipation, bloating, and gas.

Skin Changes

Slow metabolism is one of many causes of dry skin. Hormones play a role in hydrating the skin, and hypothyroidism and its resultant slow metabolism can cause dry skin. Problems with protein metabolism can cause signs of skin aging, such as wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity.

Feeling Cold

Slow metabolism can lead to difficulty maintaining proper body temperature. When metabolism is slow, there is less heat generated in the body. You may have intolerance to cold environments, and frequently feel cold if you have a condition that slows down your metabolism.

How to Maintain a Healthy Metabolism

Your metabolic rate largely depends on your age, physical activity, and body composition. You can’t control all of these, but by incorporating physical activity regularly, you can increase your metabolism. Since muscle is more metabolically active, strengthening exercises can also increase your metabolism. This is especially important with age, since aging is linked to decreases in muscle mass.

It’s also important to eat a balanced diet that will provide all the vitamins and minerals and nutrients that your body needs. Avoid dramatic calorie restriction, as this can send signals to your body to slow down metabolism to preserve energy.

What Affects Metabolism?

Metabolism is the sum of complex bodily processes, and many factors can contribute to metabolic rate:

• Age: In general, metabolism slows with age
• Body composition: Having a lower muscle mass and increased fat slows metabolism
• Diet: Not getting enough calories can slow down your metabolism as your body tries to conserve energy
• Drugs or medications: Various drugs and medications can affect metabolism
• Genetics: Your genes may affect your overall metabolism. There are also specific genes tied to metabolic disorders, making it difficult for the body to break down certain nutrients.
• Hormones: Various hormones affect metabolism, such as thyroid hormone, sex hormones, growth hormone, cortisol, and insulin
• Medical conditions: Nutritional deficiencies and thyroid problems can slow down metabolism. Illness and infection can increase metabolic rate as the body works to repair tissues and fight infection.
• Physical activity: A sedentary lifestyle slows metabolism. Getting lots of physical activity burns calories and impacts metabolic rate
• Pregnancy and lactation status: Being pregnant or lactating increases metabolism as your body performs important functions to support a fetus and milk production

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you are concerned about symptoms related to a slow metabolism, schedule a visit with your healthcare provider. They can discuss your symptoms and perform diagnostic tests to look for hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and other health conditions.

Key Takeaways

• Metabolism refers to all of the processes that use or store energy in the body. Metabolism slows with age, but also depends on genetics, nutritional status, and physical activity levels.
• A slow metabolism can contribute to feeling tired, cold, difficulty losing weight, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Getting physical exercise and eating regular meals can help balance your metabolism. If you have symptoms, see a healthcare provider to see if medical conditions like a thyroid disorder are contributing to a slow metabolism.