How to create a flexible metabolism

The best ways to look after your metabolism are, unsurprisingly, by eating well and moving.

When it comes to nutrition, the Mechanisms Of Ageing and Development paper reported that an inflexible metabolism was down to macronutrient imbalances, meaning not enough carbs or fats to balance each other out. Because of that, macro variety is key to a flexible metabolism.

“High-fat meals decrease insulin spikes, thus improving insulin sensitivity, while high-carb meals ensure your body’s ability to use carbs for energy and keep hormones in balance,” says Mor. You need to train your body to use each of the macronutrients, so eating plenty is important.

Not only does exercise require metabolic flexibility but it also improves it. “Working out improves mitochondrial function, which makes you more efficient at burning energy,” says Mor.

“Strength training also increases muscle mass, which is the primary tissue responsible for insulin sensitivity and balancing glucose.” The more muscle we have, the better we are at metabolising carbohydrates, according to the Cell Metabolism study.

Metabolic flexibility is the name for what we know is true – eat enough of the right stuff and move more to look after your body, but it’s a great antidote to the restriction and calorie-burning versions of health we see elsewhere. When it comes to health practices, it could pay to think flexibly.

How to improve your metabolism: forget a fast metabolism and aim for metabolic flexibility