when does your metabolism realise you have eaten something?

Question

i eat 6 small meals a day. just wondering at what point does the metabolism realise that i have ate?

Answer 1

how much of an increase in the metabolic rate there will be in response to feeding depends on the body composition of the individual. for those that are severely overweight there will be no increase in the metabolic rate in response to feeding. scientist believe this is one of many reasons why some are genetically predispositioned for easy weight gain.

but to answer your question when foods are ingested and stomach acids and enzymes are released to digest foods is when the metabolic rate would begin to increase after feeding.

Answer 2

There is no point at which your metabolism "realises" that you have eaten. Your metabolic rate is determined by 3 main factors. 1 your stomach. 2. Your brain. 3. Your muscles. It is because all these 3 use the most amount of energy in your body. But the stomach and brain are insignificant to the effects of muscles on our metabolic rate.

So from this you can see that yes your metabolic rate will raise a little after you have eaten due to the energy needed to digest the food. But muscles demand energy all the time even when you are sleeping, so really the metabolism never realises that you have eaten it is always burning energy and will burn more the more muscle you have and burn more the more the muscle is used.

Eating 6 small meals a day as long as the nutrients are correct is one of the best ways to eat. It means that you have just enough food to give energy to your body throughout the day without giving it too much that some is wasted. Good on you.

I hope this has helped answer your question. All the best.

Answer 3

It would depend on what you ate. If you ate a slice of bread your body would get the 'boost' before it would were you to eat a bar of chocolate. Why not check out the GI index to start with, this would give you a grounding in how different foods are converted by your body into energy though of course it is more technical it's a starting point.
Bread converts faster because it has a low fat content , fat contained in a food slows down the conversion.
Of course we also have to remember that the process of converting food to energy is a metabolic process in itself.

Answer 4

about 20 mins after u have eaten

Answer 5

6 meals a day - is that every two hours?