“Metabolic health” is not just doctor jargon; it’s the foundation of how well your body converts food to energy and maintains stable blood sugar levels. But while metabolic syndrome strikes every 1 in 3 American adults, nobody knows what determines their metabolic destiny.
Metabolic health is determined by five interrelated markers: blood sugar, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference. These metabolic health markers work together in a symphony – when one of the instruments gets out of tune, the entire performance is affected. Optimizing and understanding these markers can help prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many other chronic conditions.
The Five Critical Metabolic Markers
Think of metabolic health as your internal efficiency score for your body, as quantified by some biomarkers that reflect how well all of your systems are functioning together. By the NCEP ATP III definition, metabolic syndrome is present if three or more of the following five criteria are met: waist circumference >40 inches (men) or >35 inches (women), blood pressure >130/85 mmHg, fasting triglyceride (TG) level >150 mg/dl.
The five key metabolic markers:
- Waist circumference – exceeding 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women indicates dangerous visceral fat
- Triglycerides – 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more indicates poor fat metabolism
- HDL cholesterol – less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women indicates low “good” cholesterol
Waist circumference is a marker of metabolic health that provides information about body composition and the risk of disease. These are not just random numbers – they are cutpoints where your risk of developing major health issues is greatly increased. High blood pressure, high triglycerides, and being overweight or obese could be indicators of metabolic syndrome.
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Actionable Steps to Improve Your Numbers
The encouraging news is that metabolic health is quite responsive to lifestyle modification relatively quickly. Regular exercise is a potent modulator of insulin sensitivity and overall systemic metabolism, both through acute processes mediated by each exercise bout and through long-term adaptation. One of the single most significant things that you can do to improve your metabolic health is exercise.
Proven strategies to optimize metabolic markers:
- Build muscle mass – Lean muscle mass increases your metabolism. Muscle is metabolically active and the most effective way we know is to combine adequate protein intake with weight training
- Prioritize sleep – People who are sleep-deprived consume more calories and have greater difficulty with blood sugar regulation
Some people with obesity are protected from most of the adverse metabolic effects of excess body fat and are “metabolically healthy.” This suggests that weight itself does not determine metabolic health – factors such as fat distribution, muscle mass, and metabolic efficiency are more significant than your scale weight.
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Taking Control of Your Metabolic Future
Restarting your metabolism also requires implementing new habits, such as a whole-food diet with minimal processed food, regular exercise, and proper sleep hygiene, which allows your body to rest and regenerate. What is great about pursuing metabolic health markers is that they are quantifiable and responsive to alteration.
Improve metabolic health with incremental, small steps that add up over time. Prevention of metabolic syndrome or reversal of established markers, the knowledge of these five key measurements puts you in control to make informed health choices and take concrete steps toward optimal metabolic function.
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