What is RMR?

RMR stands for ‘Resting Metabolic Rate’ and it is the number of calories required by a body to perform the most basic functions while resting. Our basic physiological functions such as breathing, circulation, muscle repair, food digestion, basic brain functions need calories as a source of energy and RMR represents that number. It can be simply defined as the number of calories required by an animal to keep itself alive. It does not account for the energy (calories) burned to perform physical activity. RMR is most often given in calories per day. In the past, the Harris-Benedict Equation was used to calculate RMR but nowadays calculators are available online.

RMR vs BMR:

            The terms RMR and BMR are often used interchangeably. BMR is an abbreviation for ‘Basal Metabolic rate’ and is synonymous with BEE (Basal Energy Expenditure).

     There is not a really big difference between BMR and RMR. The basic difference is, BMR measurements are typically taken under restricted conditions (like after 8 hours of sleep, darkened room and 12 hours of fasting) as compared to RMR measurements. 

        BMR measurements are taken when the digestive system is inactive. A living body is actually digesting some amount of food at every moment of time. Due to this reason, RMR is considered to be more reliable in the estimation of resting calories. 

What is metabolism?

Our body is always undergoing changes. Changes which lead to growth and reproduction of an individual are a part of metabolic processes. In simple the chemical process of converting food into usable energy to sustain life is called metabolism. 

   The slower the metabolism, the slower will be metabolic rate and greater chances of storing food as fat. RMR is your metabolic rate when your body is at complete rest and doing nothing.

RMR Calculator:

RMR calculator is a convenient tool for calculating the number of calories an organism burns at rest. You simply need to enter information like gender, age, weight and height.

Use calculators.tech RMR calculator to calculate your daily energy expenditure. It is totally free and easy to use. After calculating your RMR, you can set up a diet plan to have your perfect, dream body.

Importance:

Resting metabolic rate is important for weight loss and to maintain normal body weight without hampering the basic body functions. By knowing your RMR, one can have an idea of how many calories one is burning at rest and how many calories one should be taking to lose fat or gain muscle mass. 

           Using RMR, you can know the number of calories that is just so, you can carry out your basic everyday tasks. You will become more considerate about your fitness, will not consume more than the required amount of calories, and in return, would not be obese.

Factors affecting RMR:

              A few factors can significantly affect your resting metabolic rate.

Genetics: 

      Some people are born with slower metabolisms while others naturally have faster metabolisms.

Gender: 

  Men generally have a higher resting metabolic rate because on average, men have a lower body-fat percentage than women and have a greater muscle mass.

Age:

 RMR is estimated to drop about 2 to 3 percent, each decade, after age 20.

Weight:

     The more an individual weighs, the higher will be its resting metabolic rate will be.

Body-fat percentage:

   People with higher body-fat percentage have higher RMR as compared to those who have a lower body-fat percentage.

Diet:

    RMR can reduce up to 30 percent due to abrupt calorie-reduction.

 Body Temperature:  

     RMR increases about 7 percent for every 0.5 degrees C increase in body temperature. RMR of a person may increase about 50 percent if she or he has a body temperature 4 degrees above normal i.e almost 42 degrees C.

External temperature:

       External temperature also affects the resting metabolic rate. Cold atmosphere causes an increase in RMR as the body needs to work more to maintain its internal temperature. Similarly, prolonged exposure to heat also causes an increase in RMR.

Glands: 

      Thyroxin is a key RMR regulator as it enhances the body’s metabolic activity. Adrenaline also works as a RMR regulator but to a smaller extent.

Exercise:

   Physical exercise increases RMR by building muscles.

Ways to maintain RMR.

       After calculating your RMR, you might be tempted to compare it to the RMR of people around you and wondering if it’s normal. But don’t worry, every person has a unique physique and RMR varies from person to person. So, if your RMR does not match with your ideal, it does not means that your RMR is not normal.

From several sources, we come to know that the average RMR for men is 1800 calories per day. And for women, the average RMR is 1400 calories per day.

            In today’s world, most people have no trouble getting calories they need as compared to the men in ancient times because they had to hunt and gather every calorie they needed to survive. So this slow, “efficient” metabolism just makes you more likely to gain weight.

• How to increase RMR and lose weight:

                   You would not want to reduce your metabolism or RMR to gain weight. Will you? Everybody wants their metabolic processes to work faster so they can avoid obesity. Following are some ways to help you with weight loss. 

Exercise:

                  Your RMR is directly related to your metabolic rate. Sitting on your couch, doing nothing will cause weight gain and your metabolic rate also slow down. If you want a perfect body, you should do some exercise like walking, doing household tasks and taking stairs whenever possible.  Even chewing and standing exercises. All such actions are called non-exercise activities and they help to increase metabolic rate and in turn RMR. Researches show that an active person burns an extra 174 calories as compared to a nonactive person.

Protein intake:

                  Proteins help in muscle building. As we have talked before, muscles cause an increase in RMR number. Proteins can increase the metabolic rate from 20 to 30 percent and this increase in RMR may prevent weight regain after a weight loss diet.

Muscle building:

By building muscles through workout, your body will burn more calories even at rest than it would without workout.

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