Resting Metabolic Rate

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the amount of energy or calories your body needs to maintain its basic functions while at rest, such as breathing, circulating blood, and keeping your organs functioning. It is the amount of energy your body expends in a day, without taking into account any physical activity or digesting food. RMR is one of the major components that make up the total amount of calories you burn in a day, along with physical activity and the thermic effect of food.

Calculating Resting Metabolic Rate

Resting metabolic rate can be accurately measured through various methods, such as indirect calorimetry, which measures the amount of oxygen your body consumes and the amount of carbon dioxide you produce. However, the most common way to estimate RMR is by using equations that take into account factors such as age, sex, height, and weight.

Why Resting Metabolic Rate is important

Knowing your RMR can be helpful in determining your daily caloric needs and setting up a nutrition plan based on your health and fitness goals, whether it be weight loss, weight gain, or weight maintenance. If you consume more calories than your RMR, you will gain weight, and if you consume fewer calories than your RMR, you will lose weight. In addition, understanding your RMR can help you to avoid underestimating or overestimating the amount of calories you need to eat to reach your goals.

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms

• Synonyms: Basal metabolic rate (BMR), Resting energy expenditure (REE)
• Antonyms: Physical activity, Thermic effect of food
• Related Terms: Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), Active metabolic rate, Body composition