How to speed up a dogs metabolism

Understanding Your Dog's Metabolism | Hill's Pet

Have you ever been told by your veterinarian that your dog needs to lose some weight? Some pet parents count the calories, cut out treats and increase exercise only to watch the scale move the wrong way. Just like in humans, a dog's metabolism can be too slow, sabotaging your weight loss efforts for your pup.

Wondering how your dog's metabolism works? Here are the basics of weight management for dogs.

The Metabolic Process

Metabolism is the body's complex process of converting food into usable energy. This process involves the interaction of the digestive system, the endocrine system, the muscles and the nervous system. Even if you are just sleeping or sitting on the couch watching TV, your body needs energy to power your ability to breathe, pump blood and digest. Did you know that 5 to 15 percent of the energy you expend every day, according to Discover Magazine, goes toward digesting the food you just ate?

The number of calories needed to power all these background functions is called the basal metabolic rate, or resting energy requirement. When you add in physical activity, the body's caloric requirement goes up. Your dog's metabolism works the same way.

Aging and Changes to Dog Metabolism

There are many factors that can affect a dog's metabolism. As dogs age, their amount of muscle mass tends to slowly decrease. If an older dog has osteoarthritis that makes it painful for them to walk or run, then he may exercise less, which can also contribute to muscle loss. Muscles are the main driver of metabolism healthy, strong muscles are necessary to keep up a healthy metabolic rate. If a dog isn't burning as many calories, it then makes it easier for older dogs to pack on the pounds.

While obesity doesn't specifically lower a dog's metabolism, canine obesity is a big problem across the globe. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 56 percent of U.S. dogs are overweight. Obesity combined with muscle loss can lead to a lowered metabolic rate that will require your vet's help to correct.

Other Factors

Dog metabolism can also be affected by hormonal disorders. Cushing's disease affects the pituitary and adrenal glands and causes elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, according to PetCareRx. Dogs with Cushing's disease tend to have an increased appetite and a lower metabolic rate, making it difficult to help them lose weight without treatment.

Hypothyroidism is another hormonal disorder that lowers the metabolic rate. Just like dogs with Cushing's, hypothyroid dogs tend to be overweight. Hypothyroid dogs, however, often gain weight despite having a regular or decreased appetite.

Genetics also plays a role in your dog's overall metabolic rate just as it does in humans. Dogs that are predisposed to slower metabolic rates will have a harder time burning off the calories that they intake, which means treats and table scraps can pack on serious pounds, possibly causing a host of other health concerns for your pup. Your dog's metabolic rate can simply be passed down from your dog's parent's similar to genetic diseases can. Genetics also are a factor when combined with your dog's breed. It's important to talk to your veterinarian to understand the weight level your dog should be at in order to know how to best maintain a healthy weight and metabolism.

The Role of Nutrition

Senior dogs, overweight dogs and dogs with hormonal conditions that negatively impact their metabolism can benefit greatly from tailored nutrition, including weight management dog food. A meal plan that is lower in calories and higher in fiber can help rev the metabolic engine.Restricting calories is important, but effective fat and weight loss still requires adequate nutrients for the maintenance of muscle tissues, healthy functioning of organs and to fuel the pets metabolism. It is important to work with a veterinarian to select the right weight management food and for customized feeding recommendations to help get your pet to an ideal body weight and healthy body composition. Your veterinarian can also help you work through problems that can arise during the weight loss journey such as begging and surfing the kitchen counter for snacks.

Proper nutrition (and not excess treats or human food snacks) combined with regular exercise is important to establishing a healthy metabolism in your dog.If you have tried all of the exercise and proper portion control and your pup is still struggling to get to a healthy weight, you might talk to your vet about a therapeutic dog food specially formulated to work with your dog's metabolism to keep them at a healthy weight.

A healthy body weight is one of the most important factors that determine your dog's longevity and quality of life. You can help them maintain a healthy metabolism with proper food, exercise and regular vet checkups. If you think your dog may have a sluggish metabolism, make an appointment to talk with your vet about ways to improve it. Your vet can identify any conditions that may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts and advise you on the best weight control regimen.

Contributor Bio

Dr. Sarah Wooten

Dr. Sarah Wooten graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. A member of the American Society of Veterinary Journalists, Dr. Wooten divides her professional time between small animal practice in Greeley, Colorado, public speaking on associate issues, leadership, and client communication, and writing. She enjoys camping with her family, skiing, SCUBA, and participating in triathlons.

8 Ways That May Speed Up Your Metabolism

There are several easy and effective ways to support your metabolism, many of which involve making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Your metabolism is responsible for converting nutrients from the foods you eat into fuel. This provides your body with the energy it needs to breathe, move, digest food, circulate blood, and repair damaged tissues and cells.

However, the word metabolism is also used to describe your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn at rest).

The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest. Many factors can affect your metabolism, including your age, diet, body composition, sex, body size, physical activity, health status, and any medications youre taking.

There are several evidence-based strategies that can help increase your metabolism to support weight management and overall health.

Here are 8 easy ways to increase your metabolism.

Eating food can temporarily increase your metabolism for a few hours.

This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Its caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients in your meal.

Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. Dietary protein requires 20-30% of its usable energy to be expended for metabolism, compared to 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% percent for fats.

Eating more protein can also reduce the drop in metabolism often associated with losing fat. This is because protein helps prevent muscle loss, which is a common side effect of dieting.

Summary

Eating more protein can boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves quick and very intense bursts of activity.

If this type of exercise is safe for you, it can help indirectly speed up your metabolism. Your muscle cells will burn energy at rest, which helps you burn fat and build muscle.

This effect is believed to be greater for HIIT than for other types of exercise.

To get started, choose a modality, such as biking or running, that you are already familiar with.

Summary

Mixing up your exercise routine and adding in a few high-intensity workouts can boost your metabolism and help you burn fat.

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Building muscle can help increase your metabolism to help you burn more calories each day, even at rest.

Lifting weights can also help you retain muscle and counter the drop in metabolism that can occur during weight loss.

Summary

Lifting weights can help build and retain muscle. Higher amounts of muscle will result in a higher metabolism.

Sitting too much can have negative effects on your health, partly because long periods of sitting burn fewer calories and can lead to weight gain.

One 2018 review found that standing or stepping at work was associated with lowered cardiometabolic risk (CMR) scores, weight, body fat, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, total/HDL cholesterol, and insulin.

However, stepping rather than standing resulted in greater improvements to lower systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance.

If you have a desk job, try standing up and walking for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down. You can also try going for walks during the day or invest in a standing desk. In a 2020 study, researchers found that doing this resulted in reduced blood insulin and sugar.

Summary

Sitting for a long time burns few calories and may negatively affect your health. Try standing up or taking walks regularly or investing in a standing desk.

Green tea and oolong tea help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may indirectly increase fat burning when combined with exercise.

Its thought it may indirectly help prevent a weight loss plateau due to the way the teas affect your gut microbiome, which helps improve both the way your body breaks down fats for energy and the way it converts excess energy into fat for later use.

However, some older research suggests that these teas do not affect metabolism. Therefore, their effect may be small or only apply to some people.

Summary

Drinking green tea or oolong tea may affect your gut microbiome, which may be influencing the way your body breaks down fats, but research is mixed.

Peppers contain capsaicin, a compound that can boost your metabolism.

However, many people cant tolerate these spices at the doses required to have a significant effect.

For instance, one 2016 review evaluated the effects of capsaicin at acceptable doses. It predicted that eating peppers would burn around 10 additional calories per meal. Over 6.5 years, this could account for 1 pound (lb) 0r 0.5 kilograms (kg) of weight loss for an average-weight male.

Alone, the effects of adding spices to your food may be quite small. However, it may lead to a slight advantage when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies.

Summary

Eating spicy food could be beneficial for boosting your metabolism and help you maintain a moderate weight. However, the metabolism-boosting effect of spicy foods is quite small.

Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the chance of obesity.

Its also been shown to affect levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and leptin, a hormone that controls fullness (satiety).

This could explain why many people who are sleep-deprived often feel hungry and may have difficulty losing weight or may gain weight.

In a 2019 study, researchers also found that a lack of sleep for four nights or longer may slightly decrease how the body metabolizes fat. That said, this increase is small and easily restored by one good nights sleep.

Summary

Lack of sleep can affect the levels of your appetite-regulating hormones and may slightly affect how your body metabolizes fat, which may lead to weight gain.

Research has shown that caffeine can trigger the body to release neurotransmitters like epinephrine, which helps regulate the way your body processes fat.

However, this effect may vary based on several factors. For instance, one study found that caffeine was more effective at increasing fat burning during exercise in individuals with a less active (sedentary) lifestyle in comparison with trained athletes.

Summary

Drinking coffee can significantly increase your metabolism and may help you lose weight if that is your goal.

How do you fix a slow metabolism?

Fixing a slow metabolism may start with consulting a healthcare professional for a comprehensive assessment. They may explore underlying causes and offer you a tailored plan. Managing any condition that slows down your metabolism, like hypothyroidism, can help make other efforts more productive.

Jumpstarting your metabolism may also require you to change a few habits like a nutrient-dense diet with limited processed foods, regular physical activity, and optimum sleep hygiene that allows your body to rest and recharge.

You may also avoid doing things that slow down your metabolism like restricting too many calories or not doing any strength resistance training.

What are the signs of a slow metabolism?

Every body is different. Signs of a slow metabolism may vary individually but may include fatigue, digestive upset, not losing any weight despite your efforts, and easily gaining weight.

Only a healthcare professional may accurately assess your metabolism and the underlying causes of these symptoms.

Does dieting affect metabolism?

Restrictive diets may sometimes lead to a slow metabolism, among other health effects. Although for weight loss and fat burning you do want to consume fewer calories than you burn, your body still needs to get enough fuel and nutrients to perform body functions. Instead of eating less, you may want to focus on nutritious foods and move more.

What foods speed up your metabolism?

Foods that boost your metabolism typically include protein such as meat, dairy, or legumes. A few other specific foods can also help, but its more about your overall eating plan and caloric needs. Read more about the 12 best foods to boost your metabolism.

If youre going to eat before bed, protein-rich snacks like nuts, turkey, or fish may help you burn more fat. Learn about these and other foods you can eat before bed.

How can you lose weight with a slow metabolism?

To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This means you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, or better, burn more calories than you eat. You may want to focus on healthy eating habits while you consume enough calories to support your body functions. Consider reducing processed foods, sugar and alcohol intake, and saturated fats.

Resistance training and eating an adequate amount of protein can help preserve lean body mass. Muscle growth helps you burn more calories at rest.

Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can help increase your metabolism.

Having a higher metabolism can help you lose weight and keep it off, if that is your goal, while also giving you more energy.