You may have seen a new number popping up in your health reports or even on your scale: metabolic age.
Metabolic age compares your body fat, muscle, and metabolism to other people’s. It essentially says, “You’re similar to the average ___-year-old.”
Ideally, your metabolic age is the same as your actual age or younger. If it’s higher, your metabolism may just be running a little slower than average.
Metabolic age is one of a few “ages” people are tracking these days.
- Metabolic age = based on metabolism and body composition, often from a smart scale.
- Biological age = overall health, like heart health and fitness. Usually comes from a primary care provider.
- Epigenetic age = how your cells are aging, measured through lab testing. Typically measured from mail-in saliva tests or blood tests.
Metabolic age is the least scientific of the three. You’ll usually get it from a smart scale or body scan, but it’s just an estimate. There’s no true way to measure how “old” you are based on metabolism alone.
So, does it matter? A little. It can reflect things like muscle mass and activity level, while it’s most useful for tracking trends over time.
If you’re moving your body, building strength, and eating well, you’re already improving what actually matters, no matter what your “metabolic age” says.