How Many Calories Are Burned Per Pound of Muscle?

In addition to promoting strong bones, muscles and ligaments and reducing the risk of injury, strength training adds muscle to your body to boost your metabolism for easier weight management.

Muscle Metabolic Rate

Your body burns 4.5 to 7 calories per day for each pound of muscle in your body, explains Paige Kinucan and Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico. While fat cells tend to store calories, your body burns calories just to preserve existing muscle tissue.

The Big Picture

For most adults, muscle tissue accounts for 20 percent of your total daily energy expenditure, or the total number of calories you burn throughout the day. In comparison, fat tissue only accounts for five percent of your total daily caloric expenditure.

Muscle and Weight Management

When losing weight, a deficit of 3,500 calories will result in 1 lb. of weight loss. If you add 5 lbs. of lean muscle to your body, you'll burn up to 3.65 lbs. worth of calories each year to maintain the extra muscle.

References

• University of New Mexico: Controversies in Metabolism
• Drexel University College of Medicine: Muscle Cells vs. Fat Cells
• McKinley Health Center: Breaking Down Your Metabolism