We’re all aware of our metabolism and whilst we may not have control over it, our metabolism may play a role in the effectiveness of, and side-effects from, certain medications. It isn’t one size fits all. Do we need to rethink how we deliver drugs?

We need energy to function, but we can’t plug ourselves in to the mains and recharge like our phones. Instead, we use the process of metabolism for essential energy conversion, changing the energy in food and drink (i.e. chemical energy) into energy we can use for countless functions such as growing and even breathing. During the metabolic process, ingested calories are combined with oxygen to release the essential energy we require. Our metabolic rate is dependent on the number of calories our body uses for basic functions (e.g. breathing, blood circulation, altering hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells). There are three main factors which determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR): body size/composition, biological sex, and age. The larger or more muscular an individual is, the higher their metabolic rate even at rest. On average, biological males have less body fat than their female counterparts, leading to more calories burnt at rest, and thus a higher metabolic rate. Finally, as you age, your muscle to fat ratio usually decreases, slowing down the rate at which you burn calories while resting. Your BMR can account for up to 80% of your body’s daily energy requirements, dependent on the above factors and lifestyle choices.

Whilst your basal metabolic rate is important, two other factors also contribute to the number of calories your body burns everyday: processing food in the body (i.e. thermogenesis, which includes digestion, absorption, transportation and storage) and physical activity. Only in rare cases are an individual’s weight gain linked to a slow metabolism, such as Cushing’s syndrome or an underactive thyroid gland. The most effective way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than those you burn through physical activity: the more active you are, the more calories you burn. The NHS, and other health services, acknowledge that aerobic activity (such as walking, cycling, swimming etc.), strength training and generally being active are the best methods to burn calories as we have little to no control over our BMR.

What about the effect of our varied metabolisms on prescribed medication? Whilst we can control the number of calories we ingest and the amount of exercise we do, we cannot control our genetics. As with food and drink, when we take drugs orally they are metabolised (i.e. broken down) and the active ingredients are, hopefully, released at the correct time/point in our system. However, some research indicates that certain metabolic rates may lead to higher chances of side effects from medications. For example, if your BMR is slower, a drug may stay in your system too long causing side effects. Whilst an individual with a rapid metabolism may break down the medication too quickly, removing it from the system before it has had a therapeutic (beneficial) effect. Chemotherapy drugs are a prime example of how metabolism can effect their usefulness.

To read the full article follow: www.ashortscientist.wordpress.com/2021/06/11/drug-metabolism