As Basal metabolic rate is the term used to describe the daily energy consumption of people when they are completely at rest, sober and at an ambient temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, at which the body does not have to provide any additional effort to maintain body temperature. The basal metabolic rate, an individual variable, depends on several other factors in addition to body weight. In a rough approximation, the basal metabolic rate of humans is 22 to 24 kilocalories per kg of body mass.
What is the basal metabolic rate?
The basal metabolic rate of humans is the energy consumption that he needs within 24 hours for self-preservation in complete rest, on an empty stomach (12 hours after the last food intake) and at indifferent temperature. The indifference temperature is the temperature of the ambient air at which no additional effort has to be expended to maintain the core body temperature of just under 37 degrees Celsius for heat generation or cooling (sweating). For humans it is around 28 degrees Celsius.
Any energy consumption beyond the basal metabolic rate is referred to as the performance metabolic rate. Basic metabolic rate plus performance metabolic rate result in the total turnover.
In addition to body mass, the basal metabolic rate depends on a number of other factors, such as the percentage of muscle and fat mass, body size and hormone status. The basal metabolic rate of men per kg of body mass is on average around 10% higher than that of women, which is mainly due to the hormonal status and a different fat distribution in the body. Of course, this can vary greatly from person to person.
As a rough approximation, the basal metabolic rate of an adult woman of normal weight is around 22 kcal or 90 kJ per kg of body mass. In an adult man of normal weight, the basal metabolic rate is around 24 kcal or 100 kJ per kg of body mass.
Function & task
The level of the basal metabolic rate plus the requirement for the performance metabolism is decisive for the total calorie requirement. A food, the usable energy of which significantly and sustainably exceeds the requirement for the basic and performance metabolism, gives the body the opportunity to store the excess energy in the form of fat reserves for times when food is scarce. In the opposite case, when there is a shortage of food, which leads to a significantly negative overall turnover balance, humans have a so-called starvation metabolism to which the body switches if they have to endure a negative energy balance of over 500 kcal per day for at least three days.
The basal metabolic rate can be reduced by up to 50% in the emergency program. The savings program is genetically pre-programmed and makes it possible to survive times with very little food supply better and longer. In the case of a restricted calorie intake in order to adhere to a diet, it can therefore be of interest to consider the level of the basal metabolic rate in the total energy balance in order to keep the body from falling into the austerity program.
The skeletal muscles and the liver have the largest share of the basal metabolic rate in the absolute resting phase, each with 26%. The brain consumes around 18%, the heart 9% and the kidneys 7% despite the resting phase with a pause for thought. The remaining share of approx. 14% is accounted for by the other organs.
A direct measurement of the basal metabolic rate is relatively difficult and time-consuming, so that it is usually not done. As an alternative to direct measurement, there are several calculation formulas available that use easily measurable parameters to approximately determine the basal metabolic rate. One of the modern formulas proposed by Mifflin and St. Jeor in the USA in 1990 takes into account not only different absolute constants for gender but also the height and age of the person. The modern formula for calculating the basal metabolic rate also takes into account changes in lifestyle and diet over the past 100 years. Another formula takes into account that the basal metabolic rate decreases with a higher fat percentage per kg of body mass. The fat percentage is taken into account via the body mass index (BMI).
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Problems related to the basal metabolic rate are usually caused by a comparatively low basal metabolic rate. A reduced basal metabolic rate usually leads to obesity, since with unchanged eating habits a larger part of the energy supply in the food is available for storage in the form of fat.
The level of the basal metabolic rate is partly genetic and can only partly be influenced by the type of food. However, the metabolism can be significantly stimulated by hot spices such as chilli, curry or cayenne pepper, all of which contain the substance capsaicin. The basal metabolic rate can be increased by up to 25% with capsaicin.
The most common problems with a low basal metabolic rate are related to an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Other diseases that have an impact on the endocrine system can also have an impact on a reduction in the basal metabolic rate, with the consequence of weight gain.
Many women have problems with unwanted weight gain after menopause. The changed hormone level leads to a reduced basal metabolic rate, so that weight gain is favored.
Stress hormones tend to stimulate the metabolism and increase the basal metabolic rate, while depression has a dampening effect on the basal metabolic rate. Medicines such as antidepressants, which have a depressant effect on the metabolism, often lead to unwanted weight gain in those affected due to the lowering of the basal metabolic rate with a simultaneous increase in appetite.
However, the healthy body itself has the greatest influence on a drastic reduction in the basal metabolic rate when it switches the metabolism to energy-saving mode. In this case, the basal metabolic rate can be reduced by up to 50%.
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