| A person's basal metabolic rate refers to the number | | | | rates. In addition to the impact of hereditary factors, |
| of calories his or her body burns while at rest. The | | | | basal metabolic rate also can change significantly with |
| human body needs some calories simply to breathe, | | | | age and/or activity level. Generally speaking, the |
| pump blood, and maintain body temperature. It | | | | more lean body mass a person has, the higher his or |
| represents the minimum number of calories an | | | | her basal metabolic rate. Conversely, as body fat |
| individual needs to survive in the absence of any | | | | percentage increases, basal metabolic rate decreases. |
| activity. Literally, basal metabolic rate represents the | | | | One of the reasons that cardiovascular exercise and |
| quantity of calories needed just to stay in bed and | | | | weight training play such an important role in weight |
| sleep all day. | | | | loss is that these two activities can increase basal |
| The higher a person's basal metabolic rate, the more | | | | metabolic rate. The reason that people have a |
| calories that individual burns off without engaging in | | | | tendency to gain weight as they age if their exercise |
| any physical activity. Basal metabolic rate may vary | | | | levels do not increase, is that basal metabolic rate |
| significantly from one person to another. An | | | | tends to decrease as they age and naturally begin to |
| individual's basal metabolic rate is partially grounded in | | | | lose lean muscle mass. After the age of 20, basal |
| genetics. Men typically have a higher basal metabolic | | | | metabolic rate tends to decrease by about two |
| rate than women, because they tend to naturally | | | | percent each year. If calorie consumption remains |
| have both a greater muscle mass and a lower | | | | constant but exercise levels do not increase, weight |
| percentage of body fat. | | | | gain will occur as basal metabolic rate declines with |
| Hormonal factors can also impact basal metabolic | | | | age. |
| rate. Thyroxin, which is produced by the thyroid | | | | Individuals who are overweight or obese have a high |
| gland, is a very important factor in basal metabolic | | | | risk for chronic conditions such as high blood |
| rate. If a person does not produce a sufficient | | | | pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. A person |
| quantity of thyroxin, his or her basal metabolic rate | | | | that is overweight should try to avoid gaining |
| will slow. If too much thyroxin is produced, basal | | | | additional weight and increase their daily activity level. |
| metabolic rate can increase by as much as 100 | | | | Additionally, if you are overweight with other risk |
| percent. This is the reason that untreated thyroid | | | | factors (such as high LDL cholesterol, low HDL |
| problems can lead to extreme weight fluctuations. | | | | cholesterol, or high blood pressure), you should try to |
| Fortunately, thyroxin imbalances can be controlled by | | | | lose weight. Even a small weight loss (just 10% of |
| medication for most people. | | | | your current weight) may help in lowering the risk of |
| Additionally, regardless of gender or other genetic | | | | disease. In order to lose weight, you simply need to |
| factors, some people naturally have slower | | | | increase your daily activity or consume fewer calories |
| metabolisms, and others have higher basal metabolic | | | | than those needed to maintain your weight. |