You don't only burn calories when you're moving -- simply being alive requires calories. Daily functions like eating, breathing, blood circulation and maintaining body temperature require energy. These processes make up your metabolism, which needs calories to work properly.
Function
Calories are the basic unit used to measure human energy consumption. Technically, a calorie is a unit equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of water by one degree. The word calorie is most often used to describe the energy potential in food.
Basal vs. Resting
The terms Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, and Resting Metabolic Rate, RMR, are used interchangeably; the only real difference is how the two numbers are calculated.
Measurement
Basal Metabolic Rate is a measure of the calories you would need if you did nothing but lie in bed. This is the minimum number of calories that a body needs to keep itself alive.
Equations
The Harris-Benedict equation is used to measure BMR; the Mufflin equation measures RMR. These equations take into account a person's age, height and weight.
Variables
Your metabolic rate goes down as you age. Additionally, the taller and heavier a person is, the lower his metabolic rate will be.
Example
A 35-year-old, 5 ft. 8 in., 140-pound woman would have a Basal Metabolic Rate/Resting Metabolic Rate of about 1,400 calories. Her body burns 1,400 calories a day performing its basic functions.
Member Comments