Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories burned during rest consumed only from maintaining basic biological functions such as respiration, circulation of blood as well as the calories burned by organs such as the liver, kidneys and heart. Accurate BMR is measured after 12 hours of fasting. Certain conditions affect metabolism such as colds, stress and lean body mass.
Significance
Understanding BMR can aid in weight loss and weight gain. During times of dietary restrictions below what is required often results in reducing BMR, leading to weight gain. When dieting, consume enough calories to maintain BMR and enough additional calories to supply the body with enough fuel to function depending on activity levels to avoid reducing BMR.
Calculator
Discovery Health has an online calculator to provide a rough BMR estimate. This calculator gives an estimate of the base number of calories that need to be consumed per day to maintain basic body functions. A higher or lower proportion of muscle mass increases or decreases BMR respectively and should be taken into consideration when using this online calculator.
Organ That Regulates BMR
The organ responsible for regulating metabolism is the hypothalamus. This organ is located above the brain stem and controls autonomic responses based on visual, olfactory, stress and other stimuli.
Considerations
Increasing lean body mass, or muscle size and tone, increase BMR so that more calories are burned during rest. This is an important factor in any weight loss program. However, there are no formulas created to calculate the increased BMR in correlation with increased muscle mass.
Misconceptions
Cardiovascular exercise, such as aerobics, does not increase BMR. Aerobic exercise is an important part of any weight loss program for the short term calories burned as well as strengthening the cardiovascular system.
Tags: calories burned, weight loss, body mass, burned during, burned during rest