Thermogenesis is defined as the consumption of energy to produce heat. It occurs in specific tissues, notably brown adipose tissue. We have all realized this process of thermogenesis one day: remember that day when you were extremely cold, and your body started to shake without you being able to control it. In fact, it was your hypothalamus contracting your muscles to create heat.
Thermogenesis can arise from several factors such as environment, exercise and nutrition. Today several schools of thought associate it with weight loss since it is by burning calories that it will create heat. We decipher this phenomenon with you in this article.
What is thermogenesis phenomenon?
Thermogenesis is the process of creating heat by the body. It is closely linked to metabolism since the body burns calories to produce heat. There are three types of thermogenesis that occur in the human body:
Exercise-associated thermogenesis – this is the production of heat caused by intentional muscle movement for sports and exercise activities.
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis - energy spent on non-exercise activities such as standing, cooking, etc.
Diet-induced thermogenesis – these are the calories expended on the digestion, absorption and storage of food.
Thermogenesis can therefore be influenced by diet, exercise, as well as the temperature of the external environment. It allows your body to adapt to changing activity and food levels, as well as colder or warmer weather.
How can thermogenesis affect body weight?
Thermogenesis may influence weight loss. In fact, by burning calories, it can help you stay in a calorie deficit. Let’s look in more detail at what can induce a state of thermogenesis…
#1. Exercise.
During sporting activity, your muscle cells burn calories to provide energy for muscle contraction. Although most of this energy production is used for this purpose, some energy is lost as heat. This process is why your body temperature rises during exercise and why you start to sweat. The more you exercise, the more heat the energy will produce, and the more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose.
#2. Food.
Thermogenic substances are naturally present in many foods. The caffeine in coffee, catechins in tea, and capsaicins in chili peppers may promote weight loss by temporarily increasing thermogenesis in your body. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2005 reports that consuming these ingredients can lead to an increase in your metabolism by 4% to 5% and help you burn fat by 10% to 16%.
#3. The environment.
Your body's temperature is regulated by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This internal “thermostat” receives signals from receptors in contact with your body that detect body temperature. When your body temperature begins to drop, your hypothalamus sends a signal to your muscles to contract. These muscle contractions, or shivers, help produce heat and warm your body.
How many calories do we burn with thermogenesis?
Initially, several factors determine your basal metabolism . Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy.
- Your age: with age your muscle mass tends to decrease and fat mass to increase, which reduces the number of calories burned.
- Your weight, height and composition: More muscular people will naturally burn more calories.
- Your gender: Women tend to have more body fat than men at the same age and height, so men will naturally burn more calories.
Then it's thermogenesis which can influence your ability to burn calories.
- Exercise-Associated Thermogenesis – Physical activity is by far the most variable of the factors that determine how many calories you burn each day.
- Thermogenesis of non-exercise activities - represents approximately 100 to 800 calories consumed daily (walking from one room to another, gardening, cooking, etc.)
- Diet-Induced Thermogenesis – Digestion, absorption, transport and storage of the food you eat uses calories. About 10% of the calories you eat from carbohydrates and proteins are used during digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.
Regular consumption of thermogenic foods can therefore boost your metabolism and promote weight loss. However, adding these foods to your diet will not be a miracle recipe that will melt your fat. Spending time outside in low temperatures in hopes of losing weight is obviously not recommended and more research is needed to assess how this may promote weight loss. A healthy diet and regular exercise remains the best way to increase your metabolism and burn extra pounds. Find all our articles on weight loss on this subject.
