What is RMR?
Knowing the minimum number of calories your body needs is
important if you're trying to lose, gain or maintain your current
weight. Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum number
of calories your body needs to support its basic physiological
functions, including breathing, circulating blood and all of the
numerous biochemical reactions required to keep you alive.
The use of the RMR establishes the important energy
baseline for constructing a sound program of weight control by use
of diet, exercise, and other life style activities. Simply put;
the RMR test tells the subject where they are at currently and
offers precise information on how to reach your health and fitness
objectives. This test requires only 30 minutes and cuts through
the confusion over how many calories to eat and how many calories
an individual burns each day.
How is
RMR Tested?
Resting Metabolic
Rate is probably one of the easiest tests you will ever take. You
simply relax lying down and breathe in and out of the breathing
tube. The subject’s
nose will be plugged, he/she will breathe through a mouthpiece
connected to the metabolic analyzer, and he/she will wear a
heart-rate monitor. The analyzer measures the volume as well as
the percentage of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the expired gas.
From this data, we are able to calculate; overall speed of
metabolism, caloric expenditure, variance in calories for exercise
and activities, Basal Metabolic Index, and time in weeks to reach
your objectives. The RMR Test is perfect
for all fitness levels and requires no exercise during the
performance of the test itself.
You will have one on one counseling available at the time of your
test to discuss your objectives and the results of your test.
Your Resting
metabolism is influenced by a several factors:
1. Body weight – A larger
person will typically have a higher metabolism because the body
must provide energy to keep the extra body mass alive and healthy
2. Body composition – Muscle is more metabolically active than fat
therefore the leaner the individual the higher the metabolism.
3. Age – It appears that our RMR gradually declines at a rate of
approximately 2% per decade after the age of 30 years. However,
this decrease is primarily the result of muscle loss and much of
it can be avoided with proper resistance training.
4. Gender – Men tend to have a higher metabolism than women,
partly because they tend to be larger and have lower percent body
fat than women
5. Stress – When a person is experiencing stress, they will often
tense their muscles, requiring more calories to keep the muscles
activated or tensed
6. Stimulants/Pharmaceuticals –Caffeine and other stimulants like
ephedrine can temporarily stimulate body functions and increase
RMR, while certain drugs may either increase or decrease RMR.
7. Growth – Children and pregnant women have higher RMR.
8. Environmental Temperature – Both heat and cold raise RMR.
9. Malnutrition – Not consuming the correct foods in the right
proportions for your body will cause a
decrease in RMR.
