3 metabolism-boosting habits that can help you burn calories more quickly, and 4 things that don't work, according to an endocrinologist

One tried-and-true way to burn more calories over time is to add muscle, which takes energy to build and maintain.

"Changing your lean body mass to have more muscle and less fat can overall change your body's basal metabolic rate," Adimoolam said.

Basal metabolic rate refers to the number of calories you need in a day just to survive. As your overall muscle mass increases, the number of daily calories you expend also goes up, even when you aren't actively working out.

However, building muscle mass isn't a quick fix, since lean tissue takes time to grow. Beginners can take advantage of "newbie gains" to make muscle gains more quickly. Regardless of your fitness level, the right combination of strength training and recovery can help you build more muscle, but it may take one to three months to start to notice changes.

If your ultimate goal is weight loss, it may seem counterintuitive, but eating more can maximum muscle growth to make fat burning easier in the long run.

It may not be glamorous, but one of the most effective strategies for a strong metabolism is getting a good night's rest.

Along with exercise, sleep can make a significant difference in your metabolism and weight loss efforts, according to Adimoolam.

Experts typically recommend between seven to nine hours of sleep per night for adults, and many people don't get enough.

A lack of sleep can disrupt your hormones and metabolism, making it harder to maintain energy levels and even potentially slowing your ability to burn fat, research suggests.

Sleep is crucial for your ability to stay active during the day and maintain healthy habits like an exercise routine and good nutrition, fitness coach Joe Wicks previously told Insider's Rachel Hosie.

Enough sleep also helps to moderate your appetite: a recent study found people who slept eight hours a night cut calories by about 270 per day without making other changes.

A daily coffee or tea may offer a small benefit to metabolism as well, in addition to being good for your overall health.

"Caffeine is a stimulant which leads to the heart beating and working faster, which in turn leads to a higher expenditure of calories by the body," Adimoolam said.

However, caffeine by itself won't make a big difference to your overall results if you want to burn more calories.

"You need to take in a significant amount of caffeine to see a weight loss benefit," Adimoolam said. "Some data suggests that you need more than 900 mg of caffeine or more to see any change in one's metabolism."

You'd need to drink about nine cups of coffee a day to get 900 milligrams of caffeine, and such high doses can have side effects like anxiety, headache, digestive issues, and trouble sleeping. In rare cases, caffeine overdose can be a major health risk.

Up to 400 milligrams a day of caffeine is generally considered safe and may help with energy and exercise performance, but be mindful of your daily consumption.

Exercise that raises your heart rate has plenty of benefits for overall health.

However, some cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may promise an "after-burn" or a faster metabolism after you finish the workout, which isn't evidence-based.

"I am not aware of any data to support this," Adimoolam said.

Running, rowing, burpees, and similar activities are effective ways to burn calories while you're doing them. But new research suggests that even regular exercise may not help long-term for weight loss, since your metabolism can find ways to compensate for the energy expenditure.

You should still get moving and include some cardio for your heart health, experts recommend. Intense HIIT workouts once or twice a week are fine, according to trainers. But focus on strength training if your long-term goal is torching more calories, according to evidence.

Many diet programs claim that some food or drinks burn more calories, but don't get your hopes up.

"Despite popular belief, there is no conclusive data to suggest certain foods boost your metabolism," Adimoolam said.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that high protein diets or protein drinks can increase metabolism significantly, according to Adimoolam.

"There are too many myths surrounding a diet full of protein and improved metabolism. There's just no real data to support this," she said.

It's true that everything you eat or drink takes energy to digest, called the thermic effect of food, but the overall effect is small, experts previously told Insider.

Protein is still important to build and maintain muscle, along with other nutrients including carbohydrates. And protein, as well as fiber, may help manage appetite to aid in weight loss.

But just eating more protein by itself may not be a magic bullet for metabolism, and it's also possible to eat too much protein (like anything else), so a balanced diet is still key.

Over the years, many fad diets and popular food trends have sworn by certain patterns of eating to rev up metabolism.

But whether it's eating frequent, small meals or having a few big meals each day, there's no data to support that your meal timing can increase your calorie burn, according to Adimoolam.

Research suggests that when calories are equal, metabolism is consistent regardless of how often you eat, although it may influence your appetite. Whether a specific meal schedule works for you depends a lot on your individual preferences and routine, according to dietitians.

Similarly, while intermittent fasting has gained attention in recent years as a potential weight loss strategy, research doesn't support the hype.

A 2020 study suggested that intermittent fasting didn't have any advantage for health or weight loss over other strategies for cutting calories, and may risk muscle loss.

Other evidence indicates intermittent fasting may help with weight loss if it helps you to control appetite and reduce overall energy intake, but not because it has any metabolism-boosting benefit.

Despite the popularity of pills and powders that claim to increase metabolism, research suggests that supplements are rarely effective for weight loss or burning more calories.

A 2021 review found that eight popular products sold for weight loss aren't evidence based and may be unsafe.

A few were specifically marketed for a faster metabolism.

Pyruvate, a chemical byproduct naturally produced in our bodies when we break down sugar for energy, is sold in supplement form to boost calorie burn. However, research has found no effect and a lack of quality evidence behind its claims.

Phenylpropylamine is a chemical similar to amphetamine and ephedrine, which are linked to weight loss but also serious side effects. The the FDA warned against phenylpropylamine in 2000, when it was found to increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.