Metabolism

Good afternoon Mr. Jelínek,

Could you please explain how the autonomic nervous system responds in the case of long-term nutrient deficiency (meaning energy intake below the BMR value)? How can the metabolism be "restarted"?

Thank you very much for your answer.

If your intake falls below the BMR values, the metabolism responds to this as a crisis energy situation, during which it (simply put) "switches" to an energy-saving mode. This means that catabolic processes begin to prevail, which the athlete subjectively perceives as a decrease in vitality and a prolonged recovery period after exertion. Simultaneously, the immune system is weakened, increasing the risk of illness. Because the body lacks not only energy but also many nutrients, the athlete risks injury. The autonomic nervous system functions essentially in the same mode but is fundamentally influenced by catabolic processes, where the body takes a considerable amount of energy and nutrients from its own reserves. In such a situation, the only viable solution is to increase energy intake and strive to optimize the nutritional values of the diet.

Hello,
I would like to ask how we can determine in practice if a client has a fast, moderate, or slow metabolism?
Thank you for your response.

At first glance, this is not obvious. Determining the metabolic type is complex because there is not just one method; it requires consideration of numerous factors. In practice, one must accept that this ambiguity complicates the effort to precisely and accurately manipulate metabolism through diet, which is acceptable because it reflects the sophisticated complexity of the behavior of living systems that have evolved over hundreds of millions of years.

To determine metabolic type (including its partial manifestations, such as speed), a combination of various methods is commonly used. When attempting to determine the speed of metabolism, it is essential to distinguish what type of speed is being considered. Fundamentally, the following are evaluated:
1. The rate of energy production (e.g., based on hair mineral analysis by the Ca/P ratio, or alternatively by analyzing gut microbiota to determine the presence of key strains of microorganisms that ferment more fats or carbohydrates),
2. The efficiency of the digestive tract (enzyme production, intestinal peristalsis, nutrient absorption),
3. Neuromuscular coordination (in element analysis, e.g., the Ca/Mg ratio),
4. Endocrine gland activity (including thyroid function - in element analysis, e.g., Ca/K and standard endocrinological examinations).

Additionally, genetics (including somatotype) and epigenetic influences are factors that come into play in the evaluation. In practice, it is crucial to use methods that are readily available while also not overly concerning oneself with the fact that the outcome will not be 100% conclusive (i.e., accurate).

Good day,
is it possible to accelerate/influence basal metabolism?

Of course, and it's quite simple. The greatest impact comes from physical activity, which accelerates it (i.e., increases the values). Additionally, it is influenced by the proportion of muscle mass in the body, which is affected (besides physical activity) by protein intake - as the amount of muscle mass increases, the BMR values rise. Last but not least, BMR values can decrease as a result of the side effects of certain medications (though these are exceptional cases).

Good day Mr. Jelínek,
how does the autonomic nervous system respond in the case of a long-term nutrient deficiency (meaning energy intake below BMR)? How can metabolism be "kick-started" again?
Thank you very much for your response.

If you reduce your intake below BMR values, the metabolism reacts to this as a crisis energy situation, in which it (simply put) "switches" to an energy-saving mode. This means that catabolic processes begin to prevail, which the athlete subjectively perceives as a decrease in vitality and an extension of post-exercise recovery. Simultaneously, the immune system is weakened, increasing the risk of illness. Since the body lacks not only energy but also many nutrients, the athlete risks injury. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) essentially functions in the same mode but is significantly affected by catabolic processes, where the body takes a substantial amount of energy and nutrients from its own reserves. In such a situation, the only viable solution is to increase energy intake and strive to optimize the nutritional values of the diet.

Good evening,

I hope this isn't a silly question, but why do we play with decreasing/increasing protein intake when slowing down/speeding up metabolism, given that carbohydrates are the ones that speed up metabolism? I was under the impression that we usually start with proteins as the basis for determining the rest of the macronutrients, i.e., proteins and fats, which is why I'm confused that proteins would be specifically decreased/increased when it might make more sense to adjust the carbohydrate ratio.

Thank you very much in advance for the answer.

When manipulating the speed of metabolism, it is important to differentiate which part of the metabolism you wish to influence:

A change in the proportions of energy substrates primarily affects the rate of energy metabolism, that is, the rate of energy production.

A change in the amount of protein intake primarily impacts the balance of anabolic and catabolic processes, thus influencing the speed of metabolism in a different way than carbohydrates and fats, and also in other systems of the organism.

Hello.

I would like to ask about the specific aspects of metabolism or diet composition that correspond to the different types of the seven-type stool consistency classification. In other words, what can information about hard, separate lumps or various sausage-like variations tell me about the quality of digestive processes?

Thank you.

As mentioned in the lesson, this is more of a visual aid than a diagnostic tool. It is advisable to approach the assessment with some reservation, as it will always be just a rough estimate of the relationship between consistency, diet, and the quality of digestive processes. The most indicative value is the firmness, which (in relation to other indicators - color, odor...) points to:

1. Fiber content in the diet.
Too low leads to extremes such as diarrhea-like stool or, conversely, excessive firmness. Too much fiber accelerates peristalsis, so the stool may be looser, potentially lacking shape and visually showing a higher proportion of undigested residues.

2. Fat content in the diet.
Too much fat puts a strain on the liver and gallbladder, and the stool will always have a looser form.

3. Protein content in the diet.
An excess of protein tends (with a concurrent lack of fiber) to lead the stool to a looser consistency, and this condition is accompanied by a distinctive odor.

4. Activity of the intestinal microbiota.
Given its crucial role in forming stool in the large intestine due to its fermentation activity, it can simultaneously indicate an excess or deficiency of certain nutrients (sugars, proteins, fats, fiber) and the quality of the consumed food (intestinal microorganisms are quite sensitive to microbiological and chemical contamination of food - reactions are usually rapid in the form of looser stools).

This approach to monitoring the given indicator, together with others, provides interesting information about what likely occurred between ingestion and excretion. Based on this, it is possible to infer the quality of the diet and potential changes needed in the meal plan.

Hello,

I have a question regarding the number of servings related to metabolic type. Should it be that an individual with a slower metabolism, who digests food longer, would manage, for example, with three servings, whereas someone whose metabolism works faster would have five servings? Or conversely, should we try to incorporate more smaller servings for a person with a slow metabolism to "kick-start" the metabolism, so to speak?

I would also like to follow up on my previous inquiry in the consultation - regarding proteins and weekly diet regimen. If, for example, I include fish twice a week and other kinds of meat 1-2 times a week, on the other days when meat is not in the diet (I am speaking here about omnivores because I know this is a question that is often very important to them - how to supplement proteins without meat?) is it always necessary to have some legumes or quinoa during the day? Or can we choose days without legumes and meat if we have, for example, eggs, nuts and seeds, or cheese... I am mainly concerned about the completeness of proteins.

Thank you very much for all your answers.

By making adjustments to our diet, we have the opportunity to manipulate metabolic behavior, and this applies to the number of meals throughout the day. For example, if an individual's metabolism is too slow, it can be beneficial to support it by increasing the number of meals per day, including reducing the fat content and adjusting the ratio of Ca:Mg and Ca:P. These options are simply available to us, and it is up to us whether we utilize them.

Address the complexity of proteins primarily in specific situations that require it. Typical examples include vegan diets or elite athletes, where the demands for the quantity and quality of protein increase significantly compared to the average population. This does not mean that every protein-containing meal must necessarily exhibit amino acid completeness; the goal is simply increased attention and effort directed in this direction. Every diet plan should be, above all, practically feasible, and your considerations when translating theory into practice should always be based on this.