Hormonal
Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling is a primary regulator of basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure, with severe hypothyroidism capable of slowing total body energy expenditure by up to 50%.
Your body's metabolic rate is not fixed; it is actively regulated by thyroid hormones. In states of low energy availability (like fasting or severe hypothyroidism), your body slows down energy expenditure to conserve resources. Understanding this hormonal link helps explain why metabolic rate can fluctuate based on energy intake and health status.
For example, in severe hypothyroidism the total body energy expenditure (EE) can slow down by as much as 50%.
Why this rating
Based on established clinical observations of pathological conditions (hypothyroidism) and physiological states (fasting).
Source
Thyroid hormone signaling in energy homeostasis and energy metabolism
Elizabeth A. McAninch et al. · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2014
DOI 10.1111/nyas.12374
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