Eat, Train, Progress.

Join

Metabolism boosting foods?

FatHuMan1
FatHuMan1 Posts: 1,028 Member
edited February 7 in Social Groups
Fact? Fiction? Irrelevant? To borrow a phrase, what's the straight dope on this?

Replies

  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Short answer: Fiction.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,793 Member
    The bioactive ingredient in red pepper, capsicum will increase thermogenesis, but the amount needed and the result is insignificant. What you want to do is design a diet that increases your compliance and helps control calorie consumption what ever that might be.
  • FatHuMan1
    FatHuMan1 Posts: 1,028 Member
    The bioactive ingredient in red pepper, capsicum will increase thermogenesis, but the amount needed and the result is insignificant. What you want to do is design a diet that increases your compliance and helps control calorie consumption what ever that might be.

    This was my understanding as well. However a gentleman at my gym mentioned it (spicy foods in particular) and seemed convinced of it. I tried googling it but couldn't find any definitive answer.
    Would you happen to have a link to any studies that confirm your answer? I'd really like to be able to back up my position with some science the next time I talk to him.
    As for me I follow an IIFYM approach. Seems to be working pretty well, although admittedly on occasion I tend to stretch the 20% a bit. :tongue:
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    As close as you are going to get on this is Protein.

    It requires more work by the body to break down the amino acids and so while it doesn't increase metabolic rate per se, it has a higher thermic effect (TEF) than the other macros.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The bioactive ingredient in red pepper, capsicum will increase thermogenesis, but the amount needed and the result is insignificant. What you want to do is design a diet that increases your compliance and helps control calorie consumption what ever that might be.

    This was my understanding as well. However a gentleman at my gym mentioned it (spicy foods in particular) and seemed convinced of it. I tried googling it but couldn't find any definitive answer.
    Would you happen to have a link to any studies that confirm your answer? I'd really like to be able to back up my position with some science the next time I talk to him.
    As for me I follow an IIFYM approach. Seems to be working pretty well, although admittedly on occasion I tend to stretch the 20% a bit. :tongue:

    Neanderthin is right - the impact is negligible in the scheme of things.

    Re the studies - I have seen a few...will post if I find them
  • FatHuMan1
    FatHuMan1 Posts: 1,028 Member
    The bioactive ingredient in red pepper, capsicum will increase thermogenesis, but the amount needed and the result is insignificant. What you want to do is design a diet that increases your compliance and helps control calorie consumption what ever that might be.

    This was my understanding as well. However a gentleman at my gym mentioned it (spicy foods in particular) and seemed convinced of it. I tried googling it but couldn't find any definitive answer.
    Would you happen to have a link to any studies that confirm your answer? I'd really like to be able to back up my position with some science the next time I talk to him.
    As for me I follow an IIFYM approach. Seems to be working pretty well, although admittedly on occasion I tend to stretch the 20% a bit. :tongue:

    Neanderthin is right - the impact is negligible in the scheme of things.

    Re the studies - I have seen a few...will post if I find them

    Thanks Sara. Much appreciated.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    As close as you are going to get on this is Protein.

    It requires more work by the body to break down the amino acids and so while it doesn't increase metabolic rate per se, it has a higher thermic effect (TEF) than the other macros.
    As I understand it, TEF is already built into the estimates of the calories of the different macros to give the net available calories.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    As close as you are going to get on this is Protein.

    It requires more work by the body to break down the amino acids and so while it doesn't increase metabolic rate per se, it has a higher thermic effect (TEF) than the other macros.
    As I understand it, TEF is already built into the estimates of the calories of the different macros to give the net available calories.

    It is not baked into the calories (ie they are gross). It is part of your TDEE.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Thanks Sara. It appears the Atwater System takes into account how much of the food we actually digest, but ignores the TEF. I had misunderstood that when I initially read up on it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/442525-chili-pepper-ingredient-capsaicin-fights-fat

    10 mg/kg.

    At least appears to put the fat out as available, but still comes down to is it needed.

    And I'm not even going to do the math to see how much powder that would be for my weight. I'm pretty sure I would not get too many bites of chili at that level before it was all over.
  • FatHuMan1
    FatHuMan1 Posts: 1,028 Member
    Thanks Heybales. Just what i was looking for.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Neanderthin basically covered it in his reply but I'll add this:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23021155
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,793 Member
    Here's an interesting find regarding the consumption of red pepper and caffeine on energy balance, not metabolism.

    http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=889728

    http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/BJN/BJN85_02/S0007114501000289a.pdf&code=13a9d9c16e2869a33d961c531b3262e2
This discussion has been closed.

Categories