What is Basal Metabolic Rate? BMR Calculation Method

Basal metabolic rate is one of the most used words especially by dietitians, wellness coaches and nutritionists. So what is this basal metabolic rate? How is it calculated? What should we do to speed up basal metabolism? Let's learn together!

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy that an individual spends for his vital functions 12-18 hours after the food we eat. (Assuming that we are in a state of rest and an environment where the temperature is not variable.) It constitutes 60-75% of the daily energy consumed. A large part of this energy is spent by our liver, brain and skeletal muscles. In addition, BMR differs for each individual. Genetic structure, activity and nutritional status are among the factors that affect our basal metabolism.

Basal Metabolic Rate Depends On What?

• Age and gender: Basal metabolism is fast during the growth period. Because additional energy is required to make body tissues. Basal metabolic rate decreases with age. Women have a lower metabolic rate than men. Because men have more muscle mass and less fat mass than women. Muscle mass needs more energy than fat mass.
• Body composition: Studies have also found a significant relationship between body components and BMR. As the ratio of lean mass to fat mass of the body increases, BMR also increases.
• In case of pregnancy: Basal metabolic rate increases. This change varies between 22-33%.
• In sleep state: Basal metabolic rate was found to be 10% lower in the sleep state than in the awake state.
• Diet composition: It has been observed that a diet rich in protein increases basal metabolism, but there are not enough studies.
• Menstruation cycle: Basal metabolic rate is fast just before menstruation but is lowest one week before ovulation.
• In case of infection: BMR increases by 1% when body temperature rises by 7 degree. For this reason, BMR increases in febrile diseases.
• After heavy training: the muscles do not immediately go into a state of complete rest. Therefore, BMR rises after training. In addition, BMR increases in cases of stress, anger, enthusiasm and hyperthyroidism.

How to Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate?

We usually calculate the basal metabolic rate before moving on to the nutrition program to determine the calories to be spent by individuals who want to lose weight and gain weight. The average basal metabolic rate of the individual varies between 1.500-2.500 calories. Although this value differs according to the condition of the person, it gives us an average idea in the weight gain and loss processes of the person. Thus, the program is planned according to the physical activity level of the person based on this value.

There are many methods for calculating basal metabolic rate. However, the most used method Harris-Benedict Calculate with the formula. These calculation methods do not fully reflect the correct values, we can only reach the exact value in the laboratory environment. Since it is expensive to learn basal metabolic rate in this way and it is not applied everywhere, formulas that calculate basal metabolic rate have been developed.

Calculating the Harris-Benedict Formula

Female basal metabolic rate calculation formula:  655 + (9.6 x weight(kg)) + (1.8 x height(cm)) – (4.7 x age)

The formula for calculating male basal metabolic rate: 66.5 + (13.7 x weight(kg)) + (5 x height(cm)) – (6.7 x age)

Therefore, the basal metabolic rate of a 25-year-old male, 1.80 meters long and 70 kg body weight, is 1.758 calories.

How to Accelerate Basal Metabolism?

Our basal metabolic rate is not always constant, to increase;

1. By increasing the ratio of our lean mass to our fat mass with strength training
2. Not falling below the amount of water that the person should take daily
3. Regular and efficient sleep state
4. be at ideal body weight
5. Treating hormonal disorders
6. Balanced and regular intake of carbohydrate, protein and fat groups
7. Eating little and often, paying attention to portion control
8. Consumption of spicy foods, green tea, the substance called capsaicin in green pepper has been found in studies to accelerate body metabolism. However, such foods are not effective on their own, and a sufficient and quality diet should be applied.
9. Include protein-rich foods in main meals
10. Avoiding saturated fat, trans fat and refined sugar is effective in increasing our basal metabolic rate.

As a result; we talked in detail about basal metabolic rate, which is one of the concepts we hear a lot in daily life. You can also take a pen and paper and calculate basal metabolism. However, our basal metabolic rate can be increased by regular sleep, balanced diet, 45-50 minutes of exercise and daily water consumption (at least 2-3 liters). Everything is in your hands!