Book review: The Metabolism Compass by Ingo Froböse

Finding out about metabolism is never wrong. Metabolism is the hallmark of being alive. All living beings have a metabolism. If our metabolism works well, we are healthy and fit. If not, we fall ill, our performance drops, our well-being suffers and our head rebels.

What to expect in the book "The Metabolism Compass"

Ingo Froböse is a professor at the German Sport University Cologne, where he heads the Centre for Health through Sport and Exercise. This already reveals a key message of the book "The Metabolism Compass": sport and exercise = health. A truism. The subtitle is: What keeps us fit, slim and alert in the second half of life.

There are a few truisms in this book. Nevertheless, these are good practical tips for life, known or unknown, it doesn't matter. As far as advice is concerned, the 292 pages could be summarised as follows:

Sufficient sleep, a healthy diet, endurance sports and regular strength training from the age of 40 - this is almost everything you need to do to stay fit and healthy for a long time. The author himself is a role model: Ingo Froböse is still slim, fit and agile at the age of 66.

Scientific, but not dry or dull

The non-fiction book is pleasant to read, at times it becomes very scientific, but that doesn't make it dry or boring. Ultimately, it concerns us all - after all, we all want a smooth metabolism so that we can stay fit, young, beautiful, healthy and sexually active for a long time.

My conclusion on the book "The Metabolism Compass"

Interesting reading for anyone who likes non-fiction books and wants to learn more about our bodies. Personally, I had hoped for more concrete insights and tips. To be fair, I have to say that I am a sports scientist myself and therefore already have a lot of prior knowledge.

The book "Der Stoffwechsel Kompass" is published by Ullstein-Verlag and costs 20 euros >> e.g. available here.

The key messages of the book at a glance:

• Drink plenty of water, most people drink far too little
• Eat slowly, chew well
• Elevate your legs more often because of the lymph
• Eat less salt
• Iodine intake
• Vitamin D supplementation, more than 55% of Germans lack vitamin D
• No snacks between meals, 4 - 6 hours break between meals
• Do not drink coffee on an empty stomach
• Ensure sufficient sleep
• from the age of 50, go out into the fresh air and sunshine more often
• from the age of 50: consume more protein for hormone production. Particularly good: lentils, fresh peas, spinach, aubergine, potato, avocado

Problem: As soon as the insulin in the blood rises after a sweet meal or snack, the enzymes that normally break down the triglycerides in our fat stores into their individual components are completely blocked in their work. Only when we take a break of 4 - 6 hours between meals does our organism switch on the fat breakdown.

Caloric restriction, where only 70 - 80% of the required total calorie intake is consumed, positively activates the recycling processes in the body.

When to eat chocolate?
Cappuccino and chocolate are unproblematic with or directly after meals because insulin levels rise after eating anyway.

Training and sport as an anti-ageing programme

In a 2018 study, cardiologists showed that targeted endurance training not only reduces cellular ageing, but also promotes the creation of new cells and lengthens telomeres. In other words: the best anti-ageing programme is endurance training.

>> Combine strength and endurance training: Here's how

Sport in particular naturally puts the organism into a state of nutrient deficiency time and again. The cells then experience a high level of autophagy and break down superfluous or harmful components in order to release energy in the cell. In short: physical activity and sport in particular are therefore a real fountain of youth for our cellular make-up, in contrast to constant sitting and physical passivity.

The motto, especially after a short night's sleep or a permanent lack of sleep, is: first have breakfast and then drink coffee to avoid long-term consequences for blood sugar and insulin metabolism. Studies show that just one to two hours less sleep per night significantly increases the heart rate and blood pressure.

The better the muscles are trained, the more of these small power stations there are: mitochondria.

Endurance athletes have around twice the amount of power plants (mitochondria) and also significantly larger and stronger mitochondria in the muscle cells than non-athletes

These four major physiological stimuli lead to a change and adaptation of the body:

1. Mechanical load as with muscle training on machines
2. Neuronal activation as with dance or balance exercises
3. Hormonal changes such as testosterone production during strength training
4. metabolic disorders, such as an energy deficit during endurance training

You can get even fitter if you not only train your endurance, but also your muscles through targeted strength training. Above all, the growth in muscle volume and the resulting parallel increase in the metabolisation of free fatty acids as well as the increased uptake and utilisation of blood glucose in muscle tissue contribute greatly to preventing a comprehensive metabolic disorder.

Nutrition and training: what you should consider

Omega-3 fatty acids are important. The content of omega-3 fatty acids is particularly high in linseed oil and linseed.

Regularly spending time in the fresh air when temperatures are low is a very simple and easy way to kick-start your metabolism.

Eating colourful fruit and vegetables, a variety of fruit and especially vegetables and salads is always recommended!

From the age of 50, food intake and physical activity drift further and further apart, so that the balance between energy consumption and intake is lost. Belly fat in particular is considered a dangerous driver of metabolic syndrome. The only way to get rid of it is by burning energy through sport and physical activity. However, it has not yet been satisfactorily clarified whether endurance or strength training is better suited for this.

Unless we use and maintain our muscles on a daily basis, they begin to break down by the age of 40 at the latest. From the age of 50 at the latest, regular muscle training should therefore always be started, at least two days a week.

Simple everyday exercise or endurance training alone is unfortunately no longer enough from the age of 50. The older we get, the more intensive the muscular training and exercise must be in order to maintain the quality and quantity of muscle strength and muscle mass.

Ideal: A Strength training with a high number of repetitions (12-15) and medium loads (60 - 70% of maximum strength) until maximum muscle exhaustion. Muscles need to burn in order to grow. The most important thing is that we continue to dare to use our muscles intensively even after the age of 50, 60 or 70. It is important to get enough protein before and after training and throughout the day.

From the age of 40, the mucous membranes in the nose begin to shrink. The nasal mucosa becomes drier and drier and the secretions from the nose become thicker and thicker. As a result, more than 60% of men and around 40% of women start to snore from the age of 50.

Drinking enough is increasingly important as we get older.

It is important to largely avoid toxins such as alcohol and nicotine.