Interpreting Your Resting Metabolic Rate
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum amount of daily energy you will expend at rest. This
energy is used for basic function including for your respiratory and circulatory organs, neural system,
liver, kidneys, and other organs.
Why is RMR important?
Having a higher resting metabolism will increase the amount of energy (calories or kilojoules)
expenditure daily. In turn, this can assist in a decrease in body fat levels. A low RMR on the other hand,
will make it harder to lose body fat.
About 70% of the energy you consume every day is used for your resting metabolism. In addition,
energy is used when doing any kind of physical activity, with more intense activities expending more
energy.
What impacts on your RMR?
A number of factors determine your resting metabolic rate. These include:
Your age – RMR decreases as you age.
Your gender – males generally have a higher RMR.
Physical activity levels – a greater RMR will be seen in those who undertake more regular
exercise. Both aerobic and strength training are valuable in raising your RMR.
Using RMR to Estimate Your Total Energy Expenditure
As RMR only represents resting energy expenditure, an adjustment must be made to reflect your activity
level. This is done by using a multiplying factor based on your daily activity levels. Multiply your RMR by
a suitable activity factor (McArdle et al 1996) in the table below to get an estimate of your overall
energy expenditure.
Your Activity Level
Sedentary
Lightly Active
Moderately Active
Very Active
Extremely Active
Description
Little or no exercise, desk job
Light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week
Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days per week
Hard exercise or sports 3-5 days per week
Hard daily exercise or sports or physical job
Activity Factor
1.2
1.375
1.55
1.725
1.9
If your goal is to lose weight, you may also find it beneficial to visit www.calorieking.com.au Using this
site you will be able to accurately measure your overall energy expenditure and energy intake.
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