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How fast does your body burn calories? Learn the secret behind BMR!
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a crucial concept when understanding how to effectively manage your weight. BMR refers to the energy consumed by a person per unit time in a resting state. Not only does it affect how many calories you can burn in a day, it's also one of the key factors that determine whether you can maintain, gain, or lose weight.
Basal metabolic rate accounts for approximately 70% of an individual's daily calorie expenditure.
Accurate measurement of BMR needs to meet a series of strict criteria, such as being physically and psychologically undisturbed, in a thermoneutral environment, and must be tested without digesting food. For poikilothermic animals, such as fish and reptiles, there is a corresponding concept of standard metabolic rate (SMR).
What factors affect your BMR?
Several factors affect basal metabolic rate, including age, weight, gender and muscle mass. As we age, BMR typically decreases by 1% to 2% per decade, primarily due to the loss of fat-free mass. Increasing muscle mass helps increase BMR because muscle uses more energy than fat.
In women, BMR changes slightly depending on the stages of the menstrual cycle, especially during the luteal phase when ovarian hormone levels increase.
How to calculate your BMR?
BMR can be predicted by a variety of formulas, including the historically famous Harris-Benedict equation or the Mifflin-St Jeor equation proposed in 2010. These formulas typically take into account factors such as height, weight, age, and gender.
The diversity of BMR reflects inter-individual differences, with many studies showing that BMR can vary by up to 1,500 calories.
The relationship between BMR and exercise
Although aerobic exercise increases BMR, early research shows that the effects of cardiovascular training have no significant impact on BMR after adjusting for fat-free mass. Anaerobic exercise, on the other hand, has been shown to increase resting energy expenditure.
Increasing muscle mass and strength training can help increase resting metabolic rate, which is critical for long-term weight management.
Understanding the background of physiology
The main regulator of basal metabolism is the hypothalamus, which is located in the limbic system of the brain and is responsible for the activities of various automatic nervous systems. These activities include heart rate regulation, body temperature control, and adjustments in food intake.
Current Observations and Trends
Research shows that over the past few decades, as lifestyle changes have led to a decline in average BMR levels for people of the same weight and age. This means that modern people may consume fewer calories than before even if they maintain the same weight.
With different eras, an individual’s basal metabolic rate significantly affects overall energy consumption and the difficulty of weight management.
Knowing your BMR not only helps to formulate correct fitness and diet plans, but also allows you to better understand your own health status. Ready to explore your body more deeply and use this knowledge to improve your daily lifestyle?
