In our earlier post, we linked metabolism to work done by the body.  Here, we will define metabolic rate.  Often referred to as basel metabolic rate (BMR), is the rate at which our systems operate – expending energy/calories when the body is at complete rest.  When we are at rest our systems are still working to allow breathing, blood circulation, cell growth and so on.  BMR affects the rate at which a person burns calories and ultimately whether the individual maintains, gains, or loses weight.  It accounts for about 60-75% of the daily calorie expenditure by individuals. metabolic rate - VicBandPUs

Ways to Measure Metabolic Rate

There is some strict criteria to measure BMR – person must be awake but at complete rest, including the nervous system.  This is often easier said than done as the brain is always working, thinking, strategizing.  An example, any psychological action including planing your day or stressing over a test, will lead to an active nervous system – which raises overall caloric expenditure.  For this reason, a more common measurement uses a less strict criteria, calculating resting metabolic rate (RMR).  Without the use of fancy equipment, a rough estimate can be acquired from an equation using age, gender, height and weight.  There are a number of challenges with this equation as persons of the same above categories may (and often do) have vastly different body types.  Therefore, an even better measurement is calculating your resting daily energy expenditure (RDEE) using an equation that takes lean body mass (LBM) into account. There are various calculators online that can assist you in getting this number.

Significance of the Number

Majority of daily energy expenditure, about 70%, is spent on basal life processes within organs of the body.  About 20% is spent on physical activity, and another 10% on food digestion.  Furthermore, our internal systems change regularly.

  • Food digestion requires different amounts of energy, proteins require more energy to breakdown than sugars.
  • A stressful day at work generates additional caloric demands as the brain works at a greater wavelength. 
  • A broken elevator generates extra physical activity, especially if you have to carry heavy bags up the stairs. 
  • A daily jog will differ in calorie expenditure depending on the environment – hot vs. cold. 

All these things affect how much energy your body will use to maintain a homeostasis.  Based on this, your metabolic rate number is not concrete and more of a guideline. In term of significance, metabolic rate works well as a ball park number for day to day life.  But, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact amount of calories needed towards desired weight as there are numerous variables.

Maximizing on the Number

The significance of this number lies in its use.  Often, people will take this number and apply towards weight management.  You know the amount of calories you should be eating and try to stay within this number to maintain weight, cut calories to lose weight and increase calories to bulk up.  A lifestyle movement towards a healthy physique requires low body fat percentage coupled with greater lean body mass.  As discussed previously – CALORIES: Energy vs. Nutrients – trying to lose weight by cutting calories alone will not generate optimum results.  Conversely, if you are trying to build muscle mass, food type is just as important as caloric amount.  Meeting your caloric intake from a sandwich on sliced bread is very different than eating the same calories from a meal consisting of lean meats, grilled vegetables and whole grains.

metabolic rate - smoothiesAssociating numbers with foods has its place, but be careful as this tunnel vision strategy often creates a narrow focal point definition of what to eat.  For elite athletes this is a must.  That being said, they already have their diets well managed and likely look at food as fuel.  For others, calorie counting as a lifestyle choice may be daunting.  Thinking about food all the time, counting every bite may not be an ideal situation.  Instead, taking steps towards:

  • Increasing your RDEE in terms of increase in physical activity,
  • Adjusting your diet towards choosing more nutritious foods, and
  • Eating less treat food is a better option.

If your are grossly out of sink, with your number and amount of calories you are consuming, well you will likely need to skip a daily meal or two.  But, we will still hold our fort in stating, the move should be away from calorie counting and towards eating more nutrient rich foods.  An example, it is easy to overeat a takeout burger, fries, combined with a soda or beer.  However, try to start your meal with a large green salad, move on to a burger patty on a small bun, double the quality meat (if needed), and limit the condiments. Skip the fries and choose a large glass of water instead of soda.  The second meal has less calories, requires more chewing and the water will fill your stomach, these plus other nutrient signals will be sent to the brain.  The meal will be terminated soon after the signal for fullness is received, without overeating.  If you are interested in this and similar topics on the subject, please learn more about The No-Diet Book.

Final Thoughts

Food should be used as fuel to run your body at its optimum.  It is a good idea to know approximately how many calories you are allowed based on your desired body type.  The application of this number should be flexible.  Instead of fine tuning and measuring your meals, counting calories in an apple, it’s best to focus on the nutritional value of food.  The question to keep in mind is – how is the food about to be consumed going to benefit your health?  Often our weight loss hurdles are attributed to eating the wrong foods in excess.  Our recommendation, count calories in treat foods like candy, soda, chips, desserts.  Can you afford to throw these calories down the drain, so to speak?  Such nutrient poor calories will not help with weight-loss, performance, or overall health.  In case of weight loss or bulking for that matter, give more focus to the type and intensity of physical activity performed.  You can learn more about our Training Book Stronger Leaner Faster – a full-year of training targeting energy systems that simultaneously engages fat loss while increasing lean body mass.