Metabolism does not increase during puberty and does not slow down with middle age or even with menopause. But after a peak in the first year of life, it remains stable until middle age and begins to slow down for everyone only after age 60. This is what emerged from a new study conducted by an international team of researchers, led by John Speakman of the University of Aberdeen and Herman Pontzer of Duke University, which dispels several myths about human metabolism.
The study in detail
deepening
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To carry out the study, published in Science, the research team studied metabolic changes over the course of life on a sample made up of 6400 people from 29 countries (aged between one week and 95 years), taking into account weight body of each, as the metabolism increases with increasing body size.
It thus emerged that the metabolism from birth to the first year of life goes from being the same as that of the mother until it reaches a peak that is 50% greater than that of adults. It gradually slows down until age 20, with no peak during puberty. On the other hand, there are no metabolic changes between the ages of 20 and 60. This finding suggests that weight gain particularly prevalent during middle age is attributable to excessive caloric intake and not metabolic slowdown. Finally, it slows down for everyone after the age of 60, leading to 90-year-olds having a metabolism that is 26% lower than in middle age.
“It’s a picture never seen before, full of surprises. The most surprising aspect is that there are no metabolic changes throughout adult life, so if middle-aged people find themselves gaining weight, it cannot be blamed on a metabolic slowdown. , but it must be sought in the caloric intake, therefore in the diet “, explained Speakman. According to the researchers, the results of the study could have different implications in the medical field, such as in the dosage of drugs for children and the elderly, but above all in terms of nutrition.
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