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Metabolism Boosters, Including Certain Exercises & Supplements

By Rachel Link, RD, MS

December 12, 2024

All body processes, from digestion to brain functionality, require metabolizing calories into usable energy. Our metabolism allows for the conversion of foods and drinks into energy, but what happens when it slows down or gets sluggish? Fewer calories will be burned, leaving more to be stored as fat in the body. This can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and maintain healthy energy levels. 

Thankfully, there are foods and supplements you can add to your diet, plus lifestyle changes you can make, to boost your metabolism. These metabolism boosters can help to burn calories for energy at a fast, healthy rate. 

(Of course, you should always consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including exercise and supplementation.)

How does our metabolism work? Metabolism is the chemical reactions that take place in order to keep us alive every day, including turning the calories we consume into usable energy. The normal processes of all body systems is linked to our rate of energy production at the cellular level. 

Your metabolic rate determines how well your body burns calories for energy. When one is searching for ways how to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, boosting your metabolic rate is a key factor. It will have a major impact on your energy levels and overall outlook as well. 

1. Strength train and use interval-style cardio

When it comes to supporting your metabolism, physical activity is critical. Some types of exercises will boost your metabolism more than others.

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT workouts involve repeated short bouts of high-intensity exercises, followed by brief recovery periods. HIIT training helps to increase your metabolic rate and boost fat burning. 

• Weight lifting. Lifting weights can help speed your resting metabolic rate by building lean muscle mass that uses more calories to maintain normal body functions. In fact, studies show that a strength training session can affect your metabolic rate for the next 48 hours, compared to just two hours for aerobic exercise. Muscles, by definition, are metabolically active tissue. The more you have of it, the more calories you burn at rest. Try resistance training, whether at home or at the gym. Check out our article on how to build muscle.

• Less sedentary time. Avoid extended periods of time spent sitting or sedentary. The key is to awaken the body and use energy, so get up to stretch, walk around and move your body at least once an hour. Consider using a standing desk at work instead of sitting and use every opportunity to move more, perhaps by taking a lunchtime walk or climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator. 

2. Eat these foods 

What makes certain foods metabolism boosters? They help the body use energy better and may have a warming effect, which requires the body to burn more calories to maintain thermic control. Here are some go-to metabolism power, fat-burning foods:

• Good quality protein, including grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, cage-free eggs, and nuts and seeds. High-protein foods keep energy and levels stable, while helping to build lean muscle mass that burns calories. Protein also forces the body to burn more calories during the digestion process than carbohydrates. Learn how to count macros in order to meet your protein needs.

• Spicy foods, like cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, ginger and cinnamon have warming effects on the body and cause a process called lipid oxidation, or fat burning for energy. These foods act as a thermogenic in the body, causing it to rev up the metabolism and use more calories. Putting these foods into your diet is considered one of the top healthy eating tips.

• High-fiber foods like lentils, kidney beans, almonds, Asian pears, berries, figs, peas, okra, acorn squash and Brussels sprouts. Because the human body can’t digest fiber, it attempts to break it down and burns calories in the process. Studies show that a high-fiber diet (such as getting at least 35 grams per day) can rev up your metabolism. One of the best high-fiber foods is chia seeds, which contain 6 grams of fiber per tablespoon. A 2023 study in Food Science & Nutrition even says that “chia seeds are good for boosting the metabolism.” Try them in our blueberry lemon chia seed pudding or our warm pumpkin chia seed pudding.

3. Avoid these foods

In addition to adding metabolism-boosting foods to your diet, it’s important to cut out foods that can cause inflammation in the body and slow metabolic functioning. These are the definition of empty calories, as many of these foods may contain a fair amount calories but contain few nutrients.

Also, certain foods can slow down digestive processes and trigger inflammation as an innate immune system response. Whenever possible, cut back on or avoid these foods:

• Sugary drinks, like sodas, energy drinks and juices.

• Sources of hidden sugar like alcoholic beverages or mixes, cereal, yogurt or flavored dairy products, condiments such as ketchup or sauces, and granola snack bars.

• Refined grains like most breads (go with Ezekiel-style breads instead), pasta, cereals, crackers, muffins, flours and chips.

• Artificial sweeteners; aspartame and sucralose, for example, have been linked to dozens of adverse health effects (use natural sweeteners like stevia, maple syrup and raw honey instead).

• Ultra-processed and processed foods, especially packaged snacks, baked goods and refined carbohydrates.

• Refined vegetable oils like canola oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and soybean oil. Instead, go with organic coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and organic avocado oil.

4. Make these kinds of drinks

• Cold water. Replace sugary, high calorie drinks with cold water. Not only will this reduce your daily calorie intake, but research suggests that drinking cold water actually boosts calorie burning because you use more energy to bring your body back to a normal temperature. 

• Apple cider vinegar–infused drinks. Apple cider vinegar can be added to drinks such as water, coconut water, citrus water and smoothies to support healthy weight management, pH balance, body composition and microbial balance. Try one of these wellness shots.

• Coffee. Consuming moderate amounts of caffeine may increase metabolism and boost fat burning. Coffee has been shown to stimulate the metabolic rate and can be helpful when consumed before a workout. 

• Green tea. For centuries, green tea has been thought of as a metabolism booster. It is used to increase energy expenditure, making the body burn more calories to continue normal functioning. 

5. Get enough sleep

There’s a strong link between healthy metabolism and getting adequate sleep. A lack of shuteye can put your body in conservation mode, slowing down your metabolism to preserve the energy that’s left in order to keep functioning. This is why it feels like you’re “running on fumes” when you don’t get enough rest. 

6. Consider taking these supplements 

Collagen capsules from 10 food-based sources, Multi Collagen Advanced Lean capsules is a weight loss* supplement that helps you burn calories and boost your metabolism.

It features a proprietary fat loss blend that includes moringa leaf extract, curry leaf extract, organic cordyceps mycelium, turmeric rhizome extract, organic fermented ginger root, organic fermented black pepper fruit and organic apple cider vinegar. Select ingredients are backed by clinical studies. 

Check out these features:

• Burn up to 15% more calories at rest†*

• 6x more weight loss†**

• 3x more waist and hip reduction†**

• Blocks, breaks down and burns fat†**

• Promotes healthy fat loss†**

• Increases metabolism†*

• 4X better body mass index (BMI) improvement†**

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

*Due to key ingredient. Results achieved by day 7 in a 7-day human clinical trial with healthy normal weight and overweight individuals — at rest with no changes to diet or exercise.

**Due to key ingredient. Results achieved in a 16-week human clinical trial with healthy overweight individuals who used this ingredient and followed a reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise — compared to diet and exercise alone.

Meanwhile, probiotics may help modulate the gut microbiota and assist in some weight loss. The gut health–weight loss link was examined in a June 2023 study. It showed how a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet created a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in non-beneficial bacteria. Authors discussed how probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotic approaches may help regulate the gut microbiota so that healthy weight management can be maintained.

With that in mind, Ancient Nutrition's Regenerative Organic Certified® Metabolism Support Probiotics support a healthy, thriving metabolism. This formula brings you a never-seen-before combination of prebiotics, postbiotics and 10 probiotics strains — plus herbs and mushrooms grown in nutrient-dense soil on regenerative farms.

These probiotics also promote healthy cellular energy, a healthy response to inflammation, and reduce occasional constipation, gas and bloating.

Meanwhile, organ and liver supplements contain dried organ meats and glandulars, which can include liver, kidneys, heart, aorta and other types from animals such as beef and lamb. Some experts, and many practitioners of traditional health systems, believe that organ meats — including liver — are among the most, if not the most, nutrient-filled superfoods on the planet. Benefits include support for the immune system and detoxification, as well as supporting healthy energy metabolism, endurance and performance.

Lastly, Ancient Nutrition's Organic SuperGreens powder is full of nutrients sourced from premium superfoods, including beet root juice for exercise performance, oat and alfalfa grass powder to support weight management and spirulina to support healthy detoxification. This powder also features warming foods like turmeric root, black pepper fruit and ginger root.