Thermogenesis

Definition

Thermogenesis is the process by which your body produces heat, especially through metabolic activities. It helps burn calories and maintain body temperature.

Scientific / Technical Definition

Thermogenesis refers to the metabolic process where your body generates heat by increasing energy expenditure, often in response to environmental temperature or dietary factors. It includes basal metabolic processes, exercise-induced thermogenesis, and diet-induced thermogenesis, which collectively contribute to the regulation of energy balance.

Benefits

• Helps in calorie burning and weight management.
• Aids in maintaining body temperature.
• Supports the energy balance of the body.

Examples

• Exercise that promotes heat production.
• Consumption of thermogenic foods like chili peppers.
• Exposure to cold, which stimulates brown fat activity to generate heat.

Additional Information

• Effects: Thermogenesis can affect weight loss efforts by increasing energy expenditure. It is part of adaptive thermogenesis, which adjusts to overfeeding or underfeeding by adjusting energy output.

Related Terms

• Resting Metabolic Rate
• Metabolic Rate
• Brown Fat
• Calorigenic Effect
• Basal Metabolic Rate

References

• The importance of thermogenesis in regulating energy balance.
• Diet-induced thermogenesis and obesity risk: strategies to enhance thermogenesis.
• Brown adipose tissue: Function and physiological significance.