A calorie is the measure of the energy inside a food or beverage, but at a microscopic level it is an important concept for understanding how the basic building blocks of life are supplied to the cells. These small units are ultimately processed by a person's metabolism. A bigger individual will need more calories and a higher metabolic rate to feed the cells within his body.
Definition
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen within an organism to maintain life. According to the Mayo Clinic, metabolism can pragmatically be defined as the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. The amount of calories needed to carry out basic functions is known as the basal metabolic rate. This accounts for 60 percent to 75 percent of calories burned every day.
Energy Levels
Breathing, circulation, hormone levels and growing and repairing cells are all critical functions that use energy. The rate at which energy is processed for these functions is ultimately influenced by such factors as gender, age, body composition, activity level and mass. Individuals with larger mass have more cells that require nutrients, so their metabolic rate increases proportionately.
Calorie Intake
Hunger is a feeling ultimately driven by the amount of glucose lingering in the blood. It has a direct relationship with the number of calories needed as a requisite to sustain life. People who have a smaller mass and metabolic rate aren’t necessarily in any more danger than the average person to put on weight in the form of fat because she will need to consume fewer calories before satiating that hunger. Calories will take longer to metabolize, which contributes to a feeling of fullness.
Calculations
In 1932, Max Kleiber derived a calculation that found the metabolic rate of an organism is proportionate to its mass. This calculation states that the metabolic rate is equal to three-quarters to the power of the mass. For instance, a cat with a mass 100 times that of a mouse will have a metabolism approximately 31 times greater. This same calculation also holds true for humans.
Considerations
Muscle is a lot denser than fat, so it burns more calories at rest. It is also one kind of tissue that you have direct control over. If you put on a lot of muscle, then your metabolic rate is going to increase. Some bodybuilders who are particularly active find that their consumption rises by 1,000 or more calories every day.
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