What Does Metabolic Age Mean?

There may now be some credence to that saying "You're only as old as you feel." "Metabolic age" is a new buzzword in the fields of health and fitness. Is it a fad, or is there something to this idea that you could be younger or older than your chronological age?

Metabolic age versus chronological age
What is metabolic age and how does it differ from chronological age? Chronological age is your age in calendar years. Metabolic age is a number that comes from comparing your Basal Metabolic Rate with the Basal Metabolic Rate average of your chronological age group. Depending on how you compare you are assigned a metabolic age number that can be lower or higher than your chronological age. A metabolic age number younger than your chronological age generally means that you are fitter and in better health than the average, the lower the age the better in shape you are. An older metabolic age points towards being less healthy and fit than your peers and if it’s much older than your chronological age, this should be considered a wake-up call.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Your BMR is a measurement of your body’s use of energy and is usually interpreted as the minimum level of calories your body needs in it’s resting state (including sleeping) each day. The generic formula for figuring out BMR is based on gender, age, height, and weight.

It is preferable, though, to use a formula that also takes into account activity level and amount of body fat versus lean mass. Using them in the equation will help give you a more accurate picture as they can dramatically decrease or increase the number of calories needed each day and play a large role in overall health.

Metabolic age and biological age
The terms “metabolic age” and “biological age” are often confused, but they are not the same. Biological age tests have a tendency to be complex and look at a broad scope of physical and mental health, nutritional patterns, and level of physical activity.

Biological age tests are usually administered either by a biological age expert or someone in the health and fitness field who can interpret the data and then make recommendations for healthy lifestyle changes based on this information. A metabolic age rating, however, is information that can be easily accessed and used by most lay people

What's it all mean?
If you have a goal of improved health and fitness, BMR and the metabolic age number are good ways to track your progress. Some over-the-counter tools, such as select body fat and weight scales, now contain these features. One thing we now know is that weight loss and gain alone don’t tell the full story about being at or achieving a healthy body weight. You can be as skinny as a rail and still have too much body fat for your height and weight. Knowing your BMR and metabolic age can help you make educated decisions about calorie consumption, activity, fat loss, and how to keep and gain lean mass.

Scientists are still researching the concept of metabolic age and its usefulness. This being said, you would not want to take the age rating from a metabolic age test and use it to make medical decisions. But it is useful as a comparison for measuring changes in health and fitness.

There's something about seeing that metabolic age number that can be either dire or inspiring.

Receiving a metabolic age, from a scale, that is substantially lower than your chronological age means, according to the data that the scale used, compared to the average person in your age group, you have more muscle mass, less fat, are more active, and can consume more calories.

Gone are the days of letting that generic number on the bathroom scale have the last word on your weight and fitness. Metabolic age can give you greater insight into your health habits and can help put you in charge of your health and well-being. Let’s face it – feeling a little younger than our years is a state of being that many of us aspire to. Being motivated by reaching a younger metabolic age could help get you there.