Calculation of the basal metabolic rate and daily energy requirement. Basal Metabolism: How to Calculate Metabolic Rate

We all know the main principle of achieving progress in sports. 40% training, 20% sleep, and 40% nutrition. But, how to properly calculate nutrition to achieve certain goals? Of course, a plan is drawn up for this, which takes into account the physical and mental needs and costs. But one single factor falls out of this whole formula, which will be considered in the following material - the main metabolism.

What it is?

Basal metabolism is the expenditure of energy for the basic needs of the body. They include:

• Synthesis of major hormones.
• Synthesis of basic enzymes.
• Ensuring basic cognitive function.
• Digestion of food.
• Maintaining immune function.
• Maintaining the ratio in relation to catabolic.
• Maintenance of respiratory functions.
• Transportation of the main energy elements by blood.
• Maintaining a constant body temperature according to Rubner's law.

And this is not a complete list of what is happening in our body. In particular, even when a person is sleeping, most of the processes, albeit in a slower manner, help synthesize new building blocks and break down glycogen into glucose. All this requires a constant influx of calories that a person receives from food. In particular, this basic consumption is the daily minimum norm of how many calories you need to maintain the basic functions of the body.

Rubner surface

Oddly enough, but sometimes the metabolism is determined not only by biochemical processes, but also by simple physical laws. In particular, the scientist Rubner found a relationship that links the total surface area with the amount of calories burned. How does it really work? There are 2 main factors that made his crazy guess right.

• 1st - the size of the body. The larger the surface of the body, the larger the organs, and the greater the leverage in any action, which sets in motion a larger "machine" that consumes "more fuel".
• 2nd - keeping warm. For the normal functioning of the body, metabolic processes occur with the release of heat. In particular, for a person it is 36.6. Moreover, the temperature (with rare exceptions) is evenly distributed throughout the body. So, to heat a large area, you need more energy. All this is related to thermodynamics.

Therefore, from all this we can conclude:

Thick people do expend more energy during their basal metabolic rate. Tall people are most often thin due to a caloric deficit caused by an increased basal metabolic rate and the expense of keeping warm for more body area.

If we consider the level of basal metabolism as a dynamic system, mobile, then there are factors that determine the basic background, and the amount of energy distributed:

• The amount of incoming energy. The more frivolously a person relates to his diet (a constant excess of calories, frequent snacks,), the more actively the body spends them even in a passive mode. All this leads to a constant hormonal background and a general increase in the load on the body, and, as a result, a faster failure of individual systems.
• The presence of artificial stimulants of metabolic rate. For example, people who use caffeine have a lower basal metabolic rate when they cut out caffeine. At the same time, their hormonal system begins to malfunction.
• General human mobility. So, during sleep, the body transports glucose from the liver to the muscles, synthesizes new amino acid chains, and synthesizes enzymes. The amount (and, therefore, resources) that are spent on these processes directly depend on the total load on the body.
• Change in basal metabolic rate. If a person has taken himself out of balance (natural speed), then the body will spend additional energy on restoring and stabilizing all processes. And this applies to both acceleration and deceleration.
• The presence of external factors. Changes in temperature will force the skin to generate more heat to maintain the overall temperature, which can change the dynamic factor that affects the overall basal metabolic rate.
• The ratio of absorbed and excreted nutrients. With a constant surplus of calories, the body can simply refuse excess nutrients, in this case, basal waste will increase by the process of converting useful nutrients into transportation slag.

In addition, it is worth highlighting the main end products of metabolism, which are excreted from the body, regardless of its speed.



What is regulated?

Now we need to determine not only what the main energy is spent on during the general metabolism, but also how the amount of energy expended is regulated.

• First, it is the initial metabolic rate, which is defined as the ratio of total mobility to the presence of excess energy.
• Secondly, basal metabolism is regulated by the initial level of hormones in the blood. For example, for diabetics, or for people suffering from gastrointestinal problems - the overall metabolism will differ in speed and, accordingly, in costs from the average.
• Third, age. Oddly enough, however, with age, basal metabolism slows down, this is due to the optimization of the body's resources, in an attempt to extend the life of the main systems for a longer time.
• An abundance of oxygen. Oddly enough, but without the oxidation of complex polysaccharides to the level of simple monosaccharides, energy release is impossible. More precisely, the mechanism of its isolation changes. With a large amount of oxygen, the rate of excretion increases, which increases the cost of basic metabolism. At the same time, in conditions of lack of oxygen, the body can switch to the heating of fatty tissues, which is radically different in speed and cost.

Continuing to draw analogies with machines. This is a reduction in speed in order to reduce the oil consumption in the engine, and, accordingly, reduce the overall wear of the engine, thereby extending the life of the individual part.

imbalance

The calculation of the basic metabolism takes into account dynamic stresses. So, for example, playing sports takes the body out of balance, forcing it to gradually speed up the metabolism, and completely rebuild itself under new conditions. This, in turn, causes resistance (which is characterized by a large loss of nutritional potential, and, perhaps, for some time, the removal of most body systems from normal mode).

In addition, to regulate the effects of stress, the costs of maintaining the emotional background increase. Well, plus, if the balance is finally brought out, the body begins to completely rebuild itself under the new regime with a new metabolic rate. So, for example, a sudden change in diet, followed by a slowdown in metabolism, is also a sufficient factor to change the level of basic consumption. When the system is out of balance, it will tend to it. This determines the current level of enzymes and hormones.



Formulas for calculating basic needs

The formula for calculating the basic metabolism is imperfect. It does not take into account factors such as:

• Individual metabolic rate.
• The ratio of subcutaneous and deep fat.
• Presence of glycogen storage.
• Outside temperature.

However, for a general estimate, such a formula is also suitable. Before the table, we insert explanations:

• MT - body weight. For the most accurate calculation, it is better to use a net mass (excluding adipose tissue).
• R - growth. The formula is used because of Rubner's theorem. It is one of the most inaccurate coefficients.
• The free coefficient is a magic figure that adjusts your result to the norm, proving once again that without such a coefficient (individual for each case), it will not be possible to obtain an adequate calculation of basal metabolism.

Floor	Age	The equation
M	10-18	16.6 mt + 119R + 572
AND	10-18	7.4 mt + 482R + 217
M	18-30	15.4 mt + 27R + 717
AND	18-30	13.3 mt + 334R + 35
M	30-60	11.3 mt + 16R + 901
AND	30-60	8.7mt + 25R + 865
M	>60	8.8 mt + 1128R - 1071
AND	>60	9.2 mt + 637R - 302

It is important to understand that the calculation formula does not take into account the uneven consumption of calories throughout the day. So, for example, during the day during a meal or after a workout, an accelerated metabolism causes the body to consume more energy, even if it does not use it so rationally. While in sleep, metabolic processes are optimized as much as possible, which allows you to achieve the optimal result for your goals.

General metabolism

Naturally, the main stages and processes occurring in the body during the main metabolism are not the only expenses. When creating a nutrition plan, say, for weight loss, you need to perceive basal metabolism not as a constant (calculated according to the formula), but as a dynamic system, any change in which leads to a change in the calculations.

First, in order to consume the full calorie content of food, you need to include in the list of calorie waste for all actions performed.

Note: The calculation of the motor and mental needs of a person was considered in more detail in the article "".

Secondly, a change in the metabolic rate that occurs just in the course of physical activity, or its absence. In particular, the appearance of a protein and carbohydrate window after training stimulates not only the acceleration of metabolism, but also a change in the body's expenditure on digestion. At this time, basal metabolism increases by 15-20%, albeit in the short term, not counting other needs.

Outcome

The calculation of basal metabolism for an athlete, of course, is not a necessary and determining factor for achieving optimal growth. The imperfection of the formulas, the change in constant processes, requires regular correction. However, when initially calculating calorie expenditure to create a surplus or deficit, basal metabolism will help you understand how to adjust the resulting numbers.

This is especially important for those who are accustomed not to draw up a meal plan on their own, but to use ready-made diets. We all understand the principles of losing weight, and, therefore, any diet needs to be adjusted to suit ourselves. And, that for a 90-pound fat man, losing weight, for a 50-pound phyton, can be harmful and excessive.

When considering making their own meal plan for weight loss or gaining muscle mass, people start counting calories. Previously, we have already considered that for weight gain, you need about 10% excess, and for weight loss - about 10% deficit of total calorie consumption. If we can calculate the calorie content of jogging and hard work, then how to calculate the basic metabolism? To do this, you need not only to know the formula, but also to know the essence of things in which we will try to understand.

General information

So, basal metabolism, aka basic metabolism, is all the processes that constantly take place in our body. They also include:

• Maintaining body temperature.
• Normal brain function.
• The work of muscle tissues.
• The work of the immune system.
• secretion of hormones.
• Tissue regeneration.
• Secretion of digestive enzymes.
• Blood supply.
• Breath.
• Transportation of various substances within the body.

And this is not a complete list of what happens in our body in the process of life.

All these background processes can be compared to what happens in the Windows Task Manager. Even there, if you look, there are about 20-30 processes that regulate the operation of a computer. For all these processes, the body releases energy, which is what is considered in basal metabolism.

Stages and levels

If you dig a little deeper into the processes of basal metabolism, you can see that they are all heterogeneous. There are certain levels and stages of basal metabolism. Considering each of them, we can better understand the processes and biochemistry that takes place in our body. Thanks to this, you can not only correctly calculate the basic needs of the body, but also adjust them by shifting the anabolic-catabolic balance in the right direction.

And yet - why do you need to know the basic processes of basal metabolism for weight loss? When we limit the calorie content of food to a certain level, the processes of basal metabolism practically do not change. Everything goes on as usual. However, a person already feels a breakdown due to the fact that the residual energy received from food is not enough for him. If you limit the caloric content below the level of basal metabolism consumption processes, then everything will become somewhat worse here, since already after 24 hours, the body will perceive the whole situation as a hunger strike, and therefore begin.

In this case, the following processes await the person.

1. Limiting deceleration of metabolic processes.
2. Offset .
3. Change in the level of muscle tissue in the body.

But this will be only the first stage of the violation of the basic metabolism, which will occur when trying to extreme weight loss or starvation. At this level, basal metabolism can store energy for up to 3 or 4 days. Then there will come processes that will have an irreversible effect on health:

1. Breakdown of the internal walls of organs by stomach acid.
2. Complete transition to adipose tissue.
3. Continued optimization of resources by changing the composition of ligaments and joints.
4. Violation of the general metabolism.

This will be followed by violations of the excretory system in the body, which also will not end very well.

If the calorie content of the diet remains insufficient to maintain the level of basal metabolism, then everything will end in death.

At the same time, in normal mode, what are the main metabolic processes in the body? And why is it important to know the minimum calorie content that is used to maintain the life support of the body.

1. Digestion of food is the easiest to start from this stage, since on its way you can follow the main energy levels that follow in the main metabolisms. About 20% of the energy calculated in basal metabolism is spent on it.
2. Transportation of glucose in the blood through tissues.
3. Breakdown of trace elements to the simplest amino acids.

This is only the first stage of basal metabolism at a normal level and metabolic rate. The next stage is the distribution of energy in various tissues. Further, already depending on the availability of its own reserves and the frequency of food intake, the body either consumes its own reserves (expressed as glycogen) or consumes glucose from food.

Well, the last process that occurs in the body when considering basal metabolism is the process of removing waste tissues. At this point, the main metabolic end products are excreted.

The main metabolic products are:

1. Secondary decomposition products formed during digestion.
2. Secondary urinary fluid used to normalize the water-salt balance.
3. Waste body cells.
4. Waste products (toxins, etc.)

With a deficiency and violation of caloric intake, the body will try to extradite energy from these waste tissues, which will lead to poisoning. Therefore, maintaining a normal calorie content is not only a guarantee of normal metabolic processes in the basal stage, but also the prevention of poisoning the body with waste toxins, which can also lead to very serious consequences.

essence

Basal metabolism is the basis for calculating the calorie content of food in the body. All processes in the body require energy. And in order not to count each process separately, it was decided to use the weighted average, which, with some amendments, is used to calculate the basic calorie consumption in the body.

In the most simplified form, people deduct about 800 kcal for basic needs. However, in this case, many factors are not taken into account, which can significantly slow down weight loss. Therefore, the formula for calculating the basic metabolism is usually used:

The net weight of a person * 2.35 + the number derived from the Rubner surface law / 24. All this must be multiplied by the number of hours of wakefulness per day.

There is also another formula.

Weight * 1.78 +300. A simpler formula for basal metabolism has small errors associated with the fact that the calculation with body fat is used here. Therefore, it is suitable only for people of average build.

Important: you need to understand that the calculation of basal metabolism is not fundamental for most people. In particular, this is why the formula in which only 800 kcal is allocated for basic human needs has taken root. It is necessary to calculate basal metabolism only in cases where the classic calorie deficit / excess formulas do not give a tangible result. For example, for those who are very sensitive to changes in calorie content.

Rubner's surface law

Another interesting factor that affects the rate and consumption of basal metabolism during the day is Rubner's surface law. According to this law, people who have more surface spend more surface. What follows from this? Two main conclusions can be drawn from this:

1. Tall people need twice as many calories to maintain basic metabolic processes in the body.
2. Fat people lose weight faster because they often incorrectly calculate the level of their own basal energy metabolism, therefore they spend more calories than they expect.
3. People with less volume find it much easier to gain weight as fewer calories can be added to their daily diet.

How it works?

The thing is that our body spends a certain amount of energy to maintain the level of heat. When we are sick and the temperature rises, the body spends more energy. When we are tired, our body temperature drops. The body needs to warm up about 75 kilograms of weight in proportions of 1.7 * 0.8. Based on this, we can calculate the heat capacity of the body, which is about 2000 joules per kilogram of body per hour. Or in terms of calories - this is 0.5 kcal per kilogram of body and liter of volume. Those. The average person spends about 300 kcal per day just on their own heating. The error for tall and overweight people, in fact, is not as big as it seems - only + - 100 kcal per day. However, when following extreme mono-diets, this factor must be taken into account.

Another important feature of the Rubner surface is that heating is carried out depending on the external temperature. Therefore, in winter we need 200-300 kcal more per day than in summer, and this is due solely to the ambient temperature.

Factors affecting the metabolic rate

The basic metabolism is regulated by several main factors that determine its course. Knowing these factors, you can use various tricks to correct the passage of basal metabolic processes. This can help not only in the fight against extra pounds, but also to stabilize metabolic processes at the entrance and exit from complex diets.

1. metabolic rate. It initially determines the rate of calorie consumption to maintain basic functions. Artificially slowing down or speeding up the metabolism, you can get a significant burst of energy, or save on diet.
2. The normality of the stages. Depending on what kind of food you eat, how you sleep, etc., the normality of the passage of individual levels of basal metabolism depends.
3. Change in water-salt balance. The course of basal metabolism depends on the amount of fluid. All this is connected with optimization processes and fluid consumption for vital processes.

In addition, there are objective processes that affect basal metabolism, which a person is not able to control.

1. Hormonal background.
2. The performance of the thyroid gland.
3. Heart rate.
4. Accumulation of cholesterol in the blood.

Not only the speed of the metabolic processes that take place, but also the overall health of a person depends on all this.

Additional Factors Altering Basal Metabolism Size

Separate consideration are the factors that affect the metabolic processes in the human body, and, therefore, can change the level of basal metabolism in one direction or another.

Outcome

Naturally, if you want to properly calculate your nutrition, you need to know what basal metabolism is and how to calculate it. However, in reality, all these simplified formulas and indications do not always reflect the essence. If you seriously intend to count everything and are a professional athlete, then instead of these formulas, it is better to simply add to the energy expenditure table (which is spent on various activities, ranging from simple walking to your workouts), separately processes.

And although the editors do not believe that such an accurate calculation is necessary for normal nutrition, understanding the basics of basal metabolism allows you to avoid mistakes and not harm your body during extreme gain or weight loss. This is especially important for novice athletes and women, for whom the level and speed of basal metabolism are decisive when it comes to giving birth to a child.

basic metabolism. The value is determined by a combination of genetic (internal) and external factors.

1. Age: With age, the basal metabolism slows down. From the age of 20, every ten years this figure decreases by approximately 2%..
2. Human gender: The intensity of the main metabolism in men averages 1 kcal / kg / h, that is, 1700 kcal is spent on the main metabolism per day for a man weighing 70 kg. For women, this value is 10% less. Men have more muscle mass and less body fat. This means that they have a higher basal metabolic rate.
3. Body mass: The more weight, the more SBI.
4. Height to weight ratio (body surface area): The greater the total body surface area, the higher the basal metabolic rate. Energy costs of a warm-blooded organism ( Rubner's surface law) are proportional to the surface area of ​​the body (in warm-blooded organisms with different body sizes, the same amount of heat is dissipated from 1 m2 of the surface).
5. body structure: The intensity of basal metabolism in different organs and tissues is not the same. As energy expenditure at rest decreases, they can be arranged in this order: internal organs-muscles-adipose tissue. Muscle mass is more active than fat mass and requires more energy for its maintenance.
6. Genetics. Diet. Body temperature. Outside temperature. Exercises. Hormones. ……

Approximate consumption of energy in organs and tissues. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or Basic Metabolism (BOV).

• The liver consumes 27% of basal metabolic energy;
• Brain - 19%;
• Muscles - 18%;
• Kidneys - 10%;
• Heart - 7%;
• Other organs and tissues - 19%.

Harris-Benedict formula:

• For men: 66.5 + (13.75 X weight in kg) + (5.003 X height in cm) - (6.775 X age)
• For women: 655.1 + (9.563 X weight in kg) + (1.85 X height in cm) - (4.676 X age)

Muffin-Jeor Formula:

• For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age + 5
• For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age - 161

To calculate your basal metabolic rate, enter your data into our online calculator and click the "Calculate Value" button.

Basal Metabolism Calculator Online

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The basal metabolic rate is the rate of calories to maintain weight, with

The two formulas in the calculator below calculate the amount of calories your body needs based on gender, age, body weight, waist circumference, and daily physical activity (or exercise) level.

Female Male What's your gender Your age in years Your height in cm Your weight in kg. Waist in cm minimum physical activity 1-3 times a week physical activity 3-5 times a week physical activity 6-7 times a week hard physical work + training 2 times a dayPhysical activity
Formula

Before proceeding to the calculation, let's define medical terms.

What exactly is metabolism? Metabolism, or metabolism, is a complete process of chemical reactions in the body, which ensures its vital activity, growth, and physical activity.

Basal Metabolism- this is the main metabolism that provides breathing, blood circulation, digestion of human food in a state of minimal physical activity. This is the amount of heat calculated per 1 kg of the human body per day. To carry out the calculation, the experimental patient can be placed in a respiratory chamber or, by measurements, a certain respiratory coefficient can be derived for him.

It is clear that since the metabolism is basal (basic, lower), it is better to conduct an examination at the moment of complete relaxation, in the morning on an empty stomach, and also taking into account those factors that affect the acceleration or deceleration of metabolism. These factors are from the field of endocrinology, and an example is thyroid dysfunction. These diseases affect body weight no matter how much you eat. You can starve, but still be a fat man, and even then there is definitely a direct road to the endocrinologist.

The effect of food intake on metabolism should be considered from the main point of view - the acceleration or deceleration of metabolism.

For example, all food, being a source of energy for the body, thus carries a thermal effect. However, the effect of some foods is much greater, longer: these are carbohydrates rich in fiber, as well as protein foods, such as meat, fish. The body spends about 30% of calories on their digestion - which means that the metabolism works to burn your extra pounds.

There is another indicator glycemic index. It is high in those foods from which sugar is absorbed instantly, going into the blood. These are the so-called simple carbohydrates. But if you consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, that is, long-digestible (vegetables, cereals), then the metabolism again works for you, being in good shape.

Calculation formulas:

Muffin-Jeor Formula, derived in 1990, considers this:
P = 9.99 * weight (kg) + 6.25 * height (cm) - 4.92 * age (years) + constant (different for men and women).

Ketch-McArdle Formula takes into account the ratio of muscle mass to body fat:
P = 370 + 21.6 * LBM (kg), where LBM is body weight minus fat.

If you are interested in doing your own calculations, in your opinion, more accurate - calculate the proportion of body fat in your body, using the other health calculators available on the site.

Forum Link Calculate basal metabolic rate and calorie requirement Link for website or blog Basal metabolic rate and daily calorie requirement

A story about basal metabolism. I made a calculator, in it you can calculate the rate and level of basal metabolism. You will learn the extreme minimum of calories, followed by exhaustion and much more interesting things. Go!

“There is nothing more dangerous than experiments on your body,” Ivan Tsarevich stated, picking his teeth with a rusty needle. - Neither an egg, nor a duck, nor a hare will help. Old Koshchei exhausted himself. And he kept saying: “I eat scientifically, I count calories!” Poor fellow! Bury it, boys," he commanded the gravediggers...

Hello friends! Basal metabolism, what it is, is not clear to everyone the first time. The topic, however, is not just vital, but egregious. And it has matured in our time, when the passion for diets and the desire to lose weight to the state of the skeleton, overgrown with advertisements, most of which are deadly and bring irreparable harm. But first things first...

What will be discussed

Unfamiliar words, incomprehensible to some people, are translated simply: basic exchange. What it is - everyone should know.

I propose to memorize it as an equation of life: for any process in our body - respiration, cell repair, enzyme production, protein breakdown into amino acids, amino acid compounds into new proteins, breakdown of long polysaccharide molecules to glucose, the functioning of brain cells, the work of the heart muscle, etc. ex.ex. - we need energy, those very kilocalories that we are so afraid of.

70% of the total calories that food gives go to this basal metabolism, and we use only thirty for physical activity.

Calculations are approximate and relative

The basic exchange depends on a bunch of factors:

• age;
• weight;
• gender;
• features of the constitution;
• concomitant diseases;
• genetic features;
• ambient temperature;
• the ratio of muscle and fat mass;
• work of the thyroid gland and other organs of internal secretion;
• other external and internal differences.

In order to find out your BM level, that is, how much your body needs for its own needs, you can use different methods. Most accurate: put yourself in a moderate temperature chamber and count how much heat you give off in a given amount of time.

Since such experience is not available to everyone, various scientists and pseudo-scientists have developed special formulas for how to calculate the main exchange:

• by weight, height and age;
• by weight minus body fat;
• by gender - 1 kcal per hour per kg for men, 0.9 for women;
• per square meter of body surface (approximately 915 for men and 854 for women);
• as well as calculators based on the formulas of Muffin Jeor, Ketch-McArdle and other smart researchers.

And here you are yourself online basal metabolic rate calculator:

And yet we must understand that all formulas are very approximate, not a single calculation gives a true picture. The results can only be used to set a starting point. And at the same time, we should not forget: the calorie consumption calculator shows only the need of the body itself, not taking into account how much you spend on daily activities and physical activity.

Tale of the great secret that everyone knows

Reveal a terrible secret? The less you eat, the slower you lose weight.

By creating an artificial nutrient deficiency, you slow down your metabolic processes. If we are fools and begin to starve ourselves, our body has to defend itself without our conscious knowledge. He is not a fool, and perceives hunger as a signal to accumulate.

This is one of the reasons why vegetarians and fasting monks get fat. If malnutrition and poor nutrition continues for a long time, vital organs are at risk, which are to restore dying cells, to work.

Then the body begins to expend its NZ. And when they end, and they - "eats" itself. Starts from the periphery in favor of what is more important. Muscles are depleted, bones become brittle, skin flabby. The inner omentum, which everyone has, even the most taut ones, completely disappears.

Finally, the moment comes when the main organs suffer irreversibly: the brain,. From this stage it is no longer possible to go back, and you, more or less quickly, continue on your way to the cemetery.

Conclusion: starvation diets only slow down the process of losing weight and cause irreparable harm to health. And do not console yourself with the hope that "it is they who are starving wrong there, or their diet is imperfect."

Taking away from your body those calories that it needs for self-healing, you cross out the years of your life.

"Theory of Relativity" in our life

So, the formulas are approximate, the figures are not exact, the tables are relative. We have only purely empirical data that cannot be used in practice without changes. What to do? How to understand your level? Act logically.

The best coach is a professional athlete. The best theorist is a practicing doctor.

There are medical norms of daily consumption for adults:

• 1200 kilocalories - the most extreme minimum, followed by exhaustion (this is the value that should be taken as the starting point in calculating your basal metabolism);
• 2000 kcal - for a bedridden patient;
• not less than 2300-2500 - for a person leading a little active lifestyle;
• from 3000 - with heavy physical exertion.

I made for you online calorie intake calculator: