What is basal metabolism rate

Welcome to April Han’s Blog! Today, we’re diving into an essential concept in health and fitness: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Understanding your BMR can help you better manage your weight and overall health. We’ll explain what BMR is, how to calculate it, why it’s important, and how you can utilize it for your fitness journey.

What is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as BMR, is the number of calories your body needs to perform its basal functions such as breathing, circulation of blood, cell production and nutrient processing during rest. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is often used interchangeably with Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) as they are very similar. RMR refers to the number of calories your body burns while at rest. Usually, your RMR should be an accurate estimate of your BMR. 

How to Calculate BMR?

To determine BMR, you can use an online calculator, get tested in a lab or use the Harris-Benedict Equation to get an estimate of your basal metabolic rate. According to https://www.healthline.com/health/, the Harris-Benedict formula takes into account age, height, weight and gender and is calculated thus:

• Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + ( 1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years) 
• Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years) 

How to Use BMR Knowledge in Your Weight Loss Journey

From your estimated BMR, you can determine the number of calories you need daily to maintain your weight by multiplying your BMR with the appropriate factor representing your lifestyle or energy level. i.e 

• If you live a sedentary life, perform little or no exercise, multiply your BMR with 1.2 
• For lightly active individuals who exercise once to three days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.375. 
• For moderately active individuals who exercise three to five days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.55 
• If you live a very active life and exercise heavily six to seven days a week, multiply your BMR by 1.725 
• For extremely active individuals who perform heavy exercises twice a day or work physically straining jobs, multiply your BMR by 1.9.  

The above calculation tells you the amount of calories you burn daily, also called total daily energy expenditure.  

Knowing your BMR serves as an excellent foundation for achieving your fitness goals. It is an excellent starting point for effective weight loss, gain and management. To lose weight loss, you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. For weight gain, you should consume more calories than you burn and to maintain your weight, try to consume the same amount of calories that you burn daily.

To lose weight, you must be in a caloric deficit, which implies consuming fewer calories than you burn every day for energy. To do this, you must either reduce your calorie intake below your total daily energy expenditure or increase your total daily energy expenditure above your calorie intake.