Understanding Metabolism Rate - What Is Basal Metabolic Rate?

When we are sleeping, our body still functions. Our blood circulation continues to circulate through out our body. Our hearth continues to pump in order that our blood circulation will be maintained.

Our lungs continue to function to enable the body to breath and even snore. Our digestive system keeps on digesting the food we have taken for dinner.

Our liver and kidneys goes on with their cleaning function. Our brain as we sleep goes on functioning to give us dreams.

All of these body functions as we sleep are made possible because of energy produced by our body metabolism.

This amount of energy produced by our metabolism to power the entire body requirement as we sleep is called as the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR, while the unit of measuring the energy is called calories.

If you happen to be in a weight loss program, your individual BMR is crucial in determining the amount of calories that you are losing and likewise in determining the amount of calories that you need in your food intake.

However, you have to understand that your BMR is dependent on many metabolism factors. Age is one factor that influences your BMR. As you grow older, your BMR also lessens.

Genetics or hereditary factor is also one of the things that will make your BMR higher or lower than other persons. In a study conducted by medical Scientist, they have learned that men have higher BMR than women.

They noted that the cause for this is the fact that men have more muscle masses than women and women have more fats than men.

In terms of body tissue, they found out that a body with a lot of fats will have a lower BMR compared to a body with lower fats and more muscle tissues. Body temperature also affects your BMR.

A body with a higher temperature will also have a higher BMR as compared to a body having a lower temperature. This precisely is the reason why your BMR would tend to increase when you have a fever.

Aside from these discussed factors, there are still other things that can affect your BMR. The amount produced by the thyroid glands known asThyroxin can affect your BMR.

The more thyroxin produced, the higher will be your BMR. If your thyroid gland lessens its production of thyroxin, you can be sure of a low BMR.

A positive thing that can happen to your BMR is in your eating schedule. Scientists have found out that eating daily your breakfast can increase your BMR.

Also, they suggest that instead of eating three full meals a day; adjust it to six half-meal a day. This way they say, your BMR will continue working instead of slowing down once there is no more food being digested.

And of course, the final way to increase it is through exercise. By having a daily exercise like aerobics, sport dancing, jogging, distance walking and other forms of exercise to make you sweat profusely, you can effectively enhance your BMR. And your diet should also be made to lessen your calorie intake to the daily minimum needed by your body.

Tags: How To Increase Metabolic Rate, Metabolic Rate