Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy used by the body at rest to maintain basic life functions. It varies based on weight, age, height, gender, physical activity, muscle mass, and normal caloric intake. RMR is important in designing a successful weight loss program, and can be increased through smaller, more frequent meals and exercise, particularly strength training. Daily caloric intake should never go below RMR to avoid lowering it and making weight loss more difficult.
Metabolism refers to the amount of energy used in a given period of time, or more commonly, the rate at which the body burns calories. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a measure of the amount of energy used by the body in an inactive state to simply maintain basic life functions; including respiration, circulation, digestion, brain activity, etc. RMR measurements are usually taken after eight hours of sleep and an overnight fast.
Resting metabolic rate varies from person to person and is influenced by weight, age, height, gender, physical activity, muscle mass, and normal caloric intake. Men automatically burn more calories than women. As a person ages, their RMR decreases; Lower height, weight, and muscle mass also result in decreased RMR. A number of formulas have been created to estimate RMR, but they are somewhat imprecise as they cannot distinguish between body types and muscle mass. Portable devices known as indirect calorimeters use breath tests to measure oxygen consumption and are a more accurate means of measuring RMR.
Determining a person’s resting metabolic rate is important to designing a successful individual weight loss program. The RMR should represent at least three quarters of the calories required to maintain a person’s current weight. Someone who is overweight may actually have a higher RMR than someone who is not overweight. This is the reason why a person loses weight faster at the beginning of a diet, and more slowly as they reach their ideal weight.
A person is not always at rest, so the actual calories burned during the day will be higher than the RMR. Weight loss logic states that you can lose weight by consuming fewer calories than you burn. This is true, up to a point, but if a person consumes significantly fewer calories than his body requires, he will actually lower his resting metabolic rate, making weight loss even more difficult. To maintain healthy weight loss, daily caloric intake should never go below the RMR.
There are things a person can do to increase their RMR and improve weight loss. The first step is to determine your optimal daily caloric intake and then divide it into six meals or snacks. Digestion requires energy, and metabolism increases for a period of time after eating. If someone eats smaller, more frequent meals, they can maintain a higher RMR. Conversely, going too many hours between meals slows your metabolism and can make weight loss much more difficult.
Exercise is also a great way to increase a person’s resting metabolic rate. Thirty minutes of intense exercise can boost your metabolism for an hour or two. Strength training and impact exercises may not offer the same immediate increase in calorie burn, but they are actually more effective in creating a long-term shift in metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat. As a person ages, their resting metabolic rate steadily decreases, so it is necessary to reduce the amount of calories per day to avoid weight gain. A strength training program designed to increase muscle mass may be effective in preventing this tendency.
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