Metabolism calculator. Calculation of basal metabolic rate and daily energy requirement. What is Basal Metabolism

Basal metabolism, or, as it is also called, basal metabolism is the number of calories that the body needs to maintain life: the ability to breathe, provide blood flow and other equally important processes. These calories will be burned even if you lie motionless on the couch all day.

Knowing about the characteristics of basal metabolism is important for everyone who monitors health. But there are people who absolutely need this information: these are those who plan to sit down on a rigid and severely limit the calorie content of their food.

If you overdo it and do not provide the minimum required calories, the body will be forced to slow down its metabolism. But this will not help you lose weight, because muscle mass will decrease, and not excess fat. And such experiments will not affect health in the best way.

What determines the basic metabolism

Floor

In men basic exchange substances are higher, since the muscle mass in men is usually more than in women.

Age

The younger a person is, the higher his metabolic rate is. With age, the metabolic rate gradually slows down.

Height and weight

The taller a person and more of him, the more heat his body gives off into the environment. Accordingly, the basal metabolic rate for such a person is higher.

Body structure

The more muscle and less fat a person has, the more energy he needs.

Physical activity

The more a person moves and plays sports, the faster fat is burned and muscle mass increases. As a result, the basic metabolism is accelerated.

Nutrition

A sharp decrease in calorie intake slows down the metabolism.

Endocrine system state

The less hormones are produced by the thyroid gland, pituitary gland and gonads, the more the basal metabolism decreases.

Individual characteristics

All people require different amounts of energy to digest and assimilate food.

Body temperature

With an increase in body temperature, the body's energy costs increase.

Climatic conditions

In the middle lane and in the north, human metabolism occurs much faster (by 10–20%) than, for example, in the tropics.

How to calculate your base metabolism

Basic metabolism is an individual thing, but if there are no serious health problems, you can calculate it, albeit with a small error, using special formulas.

Basal Metabolism Formulas

Harris-Benedict formula

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

Muffin-Geor formula

For men: 9.99 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 4.92 x age + 5
For women: 9.99 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 4.92 x age - 161

You can use either or both of these formulas. The results will be similar: plus or minus 50-100 calories.

Katch-McArdle Formula

This formula is considered the most accurate because it takes into account the structure of the body. To use it, you need to know your body fat percentage. Find out the body fat content in fitness centers.

To calculate the basal metabolic rate, you first need to find out the fat-free body mass. With a weight of 55 kg and a total amount of fat of 20 percent, this figure will be 44 (55-55 * 0.2). Then the result obtained must be multiplied by 21.6 and added to the resulting number 370.

GS \u003d 370 + (21.6 * fat-free mass).

Have you decided to go on a strict diet? Remember: the calorie content of foods eaten during the day should in no case be lower than the basal metabolic rate. Over time, getting rid of extra pounds, you can gradually reduce the calorie content of food without harming your health and figure.

How to calculate total calorie expenditure

To find out how many calories you spend during the day, you need to multiply the basal metabolic rate by the coefficient of physical activity.

Physical activity rates

• Sedentary lifestyle: coefficient 1.2.
• Training less than three times a week: coefficient 1.375
• Trainings up to five times a week: coefficient 1.55
• Trainings 6-7 times a week: coefficient 1.725
• Heavy physical work: coefficient 1.9.

If you don't want to manually calculate your calorie consumption, use the Calorie Calculator.

How to use the information received

In order to always be in good shape, it is enough to adhere to the daily calorie intake, calculated based on your basal metabolism and your level of activity.

To, it is important to create a sensible calorie deficit. This can be achieved by lowering the calorie intake or increasing the time and intensity of exercise.

For, again, increase the amount of calories you eat wisely. Remember: even the healthiest foods can be high in calories.

Each time we suffer - how many calories do we need to maintain our precious weight? Now you can use our calorie counting.

BX

Basal metabolism is the minimum energy expenditure necessary to maintain the life of the body in a state of complete rest, with the exclusion of all internal and external influences, 12 hours after eating.

In this state, the body spends energy on chemical processes that never stop in it. Mechanical work, which is continuously performed by the heart, respiratory muscles, intestines, blood vessels, glandular secretory apparatus and other organs. Muscle tone, that is, muscle tension, has a significant effect on the basal metabolism. Basal metabolism is expressed in the amount of energy in kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoules (kJ), allocated by the whole body (or 1 kilogram of its mass) per unit of time (minute, hour or day).

The basal metabolic rate of an adult is approximately 1 kcal per 1 kg of body weight in 1 hour. Basal metabolic rate depends on age, height, body weight, gender and many other factors. Basal metabolism as a generalized indicator of the intensity of redox processes depends on the state of internal organs and various external influences on the body. It can change with insufficient and excess nutrition, increased or decreased physical activity, exposure to climatic factors, dysfunction of the endocrine glands, in diseases accompanied by febrile conditions, and for many other reasons. The basic metabolism of the same person on different days can vary by about 10%.

The basal metabolic rate in adults every 10 years decreases by 7-10% and by old age reaches the minimum values \u200b\u200bfor a given organism. In old age, the activity of cells decreases, metabolism slows down, muscle tone decreases, which affects the level of basic metabolism. A decrease in the basal metabolic rate in old age is also affected by a decrease in the mass of the liver, brain, heart and kidneys - the organs in which metabolism and, accordingly, energy consumption occur most intensively.

Basic metabolism is a consequence of the incessant work of all the cells that make up the body. Therefore, with an increase in body weight, the basal metabolism also increases, although this dependence is not direct: the basal metabolism is affected not only by body weight, but also by its composition.

Metabolism occurs most intensively in the brain tissue, muscles and organs of the abdominal cavity. Energy expenditures for maintaining vital functions in "energy-intensive" organs are much higher than, for example, in adipose tissue or bones, where the metabolism is very slow. The size of individual organs, the development of the skeletal and muscular systems, the degree of body fat are purely individual indicators, and they all affect the basal metabolism.

Muscle tissue plays a special role in this process, the degree of development of which differs markedly in different people. Skeletal muscles consume about a quarter of the energy that the body spends on basic metabolism. People with well-developed muscles, even at absolute rest, require significantly more energy. A clear connection has been established between the development of muscle tissue and basic metabolism: with the same weight and height, a lean and muscular person spends 10-15% more energy on basic metabolism than a full and loose “non-athlete”.

The intensity of metabolism and energy in adipose tissue is 3 times lower than in the rest of the body's cell mass. Each gram of adipose tissue "burns" 25-30% less energy than the "average" gram of the so-called lean mass spends during the same time. Energy expenditure per kilogram of weight with obesity II degree is 20-25% less than healthy people, and with obesity of the III degree - by 30%. Therefore, with obesity, the total basal metabolic rate increases much more slowly than body weight.

Metabolic processes in women are less intense than in men. With the same height, women have less body weight, muscular system is less developed, and adipose tissue is stronger. All this leads to the fact that the basal metabolic rate per kilogram of body weight in women is less than in men. Accordingly, a woman needs less energy to maintain basic metabolism than a man of the same weight. Normally, these differences are 5-6%.

Basal metabolic rate depends on a person's dietary intake. Prolonged dietary restriction or excessive food intake significantly affects the basal metabolism.

When nutrition is limited, the basal metabolism decreases. At the same time, body weight can remain unchanged or decrease - depending on individual characteristics and the amount and quality of food intake. A decrease in basal metabolism by 30-35% is accompanied by a pronounced manifestation of elementary dystrophy. With complete starvation or severe malnutrition, the basal metabolism decreases not only due to a decrease in its intensity in the muscles, but also due to a decrease in volume muscle mass.

Excessive food intake can lead to both an increase and a decrease in basal metabolism. A decrease in metabolism is explained by the accumulation of inactive adipose tissue in the body, and an increase is explained by an increased load on internal organsassociated with overweight.

The basic metabolism also depends on the quality of food, those. from a balanced diet. With excessive and predominantly protein nutrition, the basal metabolism increases, and with carbohydrate, on the contrary, it decreases.

The hard work of the muscles helps to increase the basal metabolism. The intensity and duration of such an increase is proportional to the severity of the previous work: after an intense muscular load, the basal metabolism increases by 5-10%. In well-trained athletes, the basal metabolic rate increases slightly after training, while in untrained people, muscle loads increase the basal metabolic rate much more.

Systematic muscle work causes a significant and persistent increase in basal metabolism. For example, if you do exercises every morning, after a year the basal metabolic rate per kilogram of body weight will increase by 40%. Physical inactivity leads to a decrease in basal metabolism.

In healthy people, basal metabolism largely depends on the individual characteristics of the thyroid gland. A significant role in the regulation of oxidative processes belongs to the pituitary gland, adrenal glands and gonads. An increase in their activity enhances basal metabolism.

There is also evidence of conditioned reflex metabolic changes. The upcoming hard work, even before it is done, may cause an increase in basal metabolic rate, sometimes even more clearly than the actual work.

You can use the calorie calculator to calculate your individual metabolic rate and daily calorie intake based on your physical activity. Please note that this calculator is for women and provides approximate metabolic rate and calorie calculations. But the calorie counter is very convenient to use and does not require special knowledge and skills.

The metabolic rate is determined based on the activity factor. Therefore, it is necessary to decide on a suitable basic metabolic formula.
Each person is different, and each formula may have an error. You need to choose the formula that will work for you.

Start with the mean, or with a formula that approximates the mean. If the results are not as effective as expected, try sticking to the following value: lower for weight loss, higher for weight gain.

Harris-Benedict equation

Basal metabolism according to the Harris-Benedict formula is determined taking into account gender, age and body size. The equation was first published in 1918. The formula is suitable for men and women over 18 years of age.

This formula has a rather large error - according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 90% coincidence of the results with real data was recorded only in 60% of cases. That is, in 40% of situations, the equation may show incorrect data, and, mainly, upward. That is, as a result of the calculation, it may turn out that the need for calories is overestimated and a person begins to consume more calories than he actually needs.

Harris-Benedict's new equation

Due to deficiencies in the basic Harris-Benedict formula, an updated equation was published in 1984. Rosa and Shizgal conducted a study on a large group, and the data was taken from research materials of Harris and Benedict in 1928-1935.

This formula already takes into account the features that in the old formula led to an excess of calories and therefore it was this formula that was more often used to determine the basal metabolism before 1990.

Mifflin Formula - San Geora

Over time, the lifestyle of people also changes, new products appear, the dietary schedule and physical activity change. A new formula has been developed, it does not take into account the muscle mass of the body, and is also calculated based on height, weight and age. This equation is used clinically to determine calories and basal metabolic rate.

According to research by the American Dietetic Association, the Mifflin-San Geor formula was found to be the most accurate. It is considered in other sources. that this formula is more accurate than the Harris-Benedict formula by 5%, but it can still give a spread of + -10%. But this equation has only been tested in patients from the Caucasian group and therefore may not be accurate for other groups.

Ketch-McArdle Formula

The formula was not formulated on the basis of weight, but on the basis of lean muscle mass. Therefore, this formula ignores the energy to maintain fat and is less accurate for obese people than for athletic people.

If you are in good physical shape, the result of this equation will be accurate enough for you. If you just set foot on the path of improving your figure, use the Mifflin-Saint Geor formula.

Based on body area

Resting energy expenditure (or metabolic rate) is proportional to body surface area, usually expressed in kcal per square meter of body surface area per hour (kcal / m2 / m2). Body surface area can be calculated from your height and body weight

Calculation of metabolic rate

What is metabolic rate?

Metabolic rate or metabolic rate is the amount of energy a person spends in a day, including exercise and keeping the body functioning.

How to lose weight knowing your metabolic rate?

The body receives calories from food and drink and spends them on the body's work: any physical activity, the work of internal organs. In terms of weight loss, it is important to consume more calories than the body has received. Knowing the metabolic rate, you can determine exactly how many calories a day should be consumed in order to reduce weight by a certain number of kilograms over a certain period. Or how many calories should you get if you start exercising or increase the load.

How is metabolic rate determined?

The metabolic rate is calculated based on the baseline metabolic rate and the level of physical activity.

How to determine your activity level?

Activity level is a coefficient that corresponds to your lifestyle, the value ranges from 1.2 to 1.9. A sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work correspond to a coefficient of 1.2. Intensive exercise 5 times a week - 1.55. professional athletes working and training all week - 1.9. If you ignore your activity level and choose a baseline, you get a baseline metabolic rate.

What is the average metabolic rate?

Average daily energy expenditure is 3,000 calories for men and 2,100 calories for women aged 19 to 22.

In articles on weight loss, you can often read about the basal metabolism. This is the amount of calories the body spends in a state of absolute rest. Simply put, the energy value that is "burned" just to breathe, maintain blood flow, cell renewal, nervous activity and other vital processes in the body.

If you add to the basic metabolism the number of calories that you expend during work, home activities, rest and sports, you get the body's daily energy requirement.

So, basal metabolism is an important indicator for those who monitor their health.

Basal metabolism: impact on weight loss

Basal metabolism, or so-called basal metabolism, determines how quickly you will lose weight on a particular diet. Often, in pursuit of fast weight loss, we sit down on completely "wild" ones with a calorie ration of 800 or even 600 kcal. These figures do not provide even a third of the body's calorie needs at a state of absolute rest. In practice, this leads to only one result - a slowdown in the rate of basal metabolic rate.

Yes, the body will take some of its energy from body fat, but at the same time, it will try to adapt to the “ultra-low” calorie diet, since any diet based on fat deposits from the point of view of nature is a “hungry, emergency” mode. In addition, if the diet is imbalanced in protein, you will quickly lose muscle mass and your basal metabolism will slow down dramatically.

Simple basal metabolic rule:

• the calorie content of your diet should not be lower than your basal metabolic rate.

Let's say your basal metabolic rate is 1450 kcal, which means that the diet should in any case provide this need. As you lose each kilogram of weight, the "digital indicator" will decrease, and you will need to reduce slightly.

And where does the calorie deficit so necessary for weight loss come from? We remind you that during the day you do work, and the "calorie deficit" will depend on its quantity.

Basal metabolism: what it depends on

Most formulas for calculating the basal metabolism take into account three indicators: gender, age and weight of a person. However, a more accurate calculation can be obtained if you know at least an approximate ratio of fat and muscle mass. One kilogram of muscle tissue spends about 200 kcal per day just for "maintaining itself", while 1 kg of fat requires three times less energy.

Hence the high basal metabolic rate in female athletes and the direct benefit from serious strength training. If you can build at least 2-3 kg of muscle mass, energy consumption at rest will increase by almost a third, which translated into everyday language means "you can eat more, and at the same time be slimmer than most of your friends." In addition, the volume of a kilogram of muscle is significantly less than the same amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue. That is why diets and a daily regimen for losing weight should be focused not so much on reducing the total body weight as on.

How to calculate basal metabolic rate

The simplest formula for calculating the basal metabolic rate is as follows:

• Divide your weight in kilograms by .454.
• Multiply the resulting number by 409.
• Multiply the result by 24 and get the basal metabolic rate, expressed in kilocalories per day.

The most averaged values \u200b\u200bare given by the following formula for basal metabolic rate. OO for women is equal to 0.9 multiplied by body weight in kg, and multiplied by 24. For men, in this formula, you need to take one instead of 0.9.

The formula for calculating the daily energy consumption for basal metabolism, taking into account weight, height and age ():

• for men: 66 + (13.7 * weight) + (5 * height in cm) - (6.8 * age)
• for women: 655 + (9.6 * weight) + (1.8 * height in cm) - (4.7 * age)

All of these formulas do not include your muscle mass. It is possible to obtain measurements taking into account the last indicator only after it has been made. In fact, basal metabolism can be calculated based on body composition only in a medical center.

Calculation of daily energy expenditure for basal metabolism based on fat-free body mass

The Katch-McArdle formula is considered the most accurate of the BMR formulas, but in order to use it, you need to know your body fat percentage.

If your weight is 70 kg and 30% fat, then the fat mass is 21 kg (70 multiplied by 0.3), the result is subtracted from 70), the fat-free mass is in this case 70-21 \u003d 49 kg.

GS \u003d 370 + (21.6 * fat-free mass)
In this example - 1428 Kcal.

But for the purpose of losing weight, it is enough to calculate the exchange according to any simple formula given in this article. After all, the main thing for you is not to reduce the calorie intake beyond the basal metabolic rate in order to maintain an adequate rate of weight loss and be able to.

Especially for the fitness trainer Elena Selivanova.

0 4078 2 years ago

When considering making their own meal plan for losing weight or gaining muscle mass, people begin to count the calorie intake. Earlier, we have already considered that for weight gain, you need about 10% excess, and for weight loss - about 10% of the total calorie consumption deficit. If we can calculate the calorie content of jogging and heavy exercise, then how to calculate the basal 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 figure it out.

General information

So, basal metabolism, it is also the basic metabolism - these are all processes that constantly take place in our body. They include and:

• Maintaining body temperature.
• Normal brain function.
• The work of muscle tissue.
• The work of the immune system.
• Secretion of hormones.
• Tissue regeneration.
• Digestive enzyme secretion.
• Blood supply.
• Breath.
• Transportation of various substances inside the body.

And this is far from full list what happens in our body in the course of life.

All of 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 for basal metabolism.

Stages and levels

If you dig a little deeper into the processes of basal metabolism, you will notice that all of them are not uniform. There are certain levels and stages of basal metabolism. Considering each of them, we can better understand the processes and biochemistry that take place in our body. Thanks to this, it is possible not only to correctly calculate the basic needs of the body, but also to correct them by shifting the anabolic-catabolic scales in the right direction.

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

In this case, the following processes await the person.

1. Limiting slowdown of metabolic processes.
2. Offset.
3. Changes in the level of muscle tissue in the body.

But this will be only the first stage of metabolic disorders that will occur when trying to lose weight or fast. At this level, the basal metabolism can store energy for up to 3, 4 days. Then there will be processes that will irreversibly affect health:

1. The breakdown of the internal walls of organs by stomach acid.
2. Full transition to adipose tissue.
3. Continued resource optimization by changing the composition of the ligaments and joints.
4. Violation of the general metabolism.

Then there will be violations of the excretory system in the body, which will also not end very well.

If the calorie intake remains insufficient to maintain the basal metabolic rate, 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 - it is easiest to start from this stage, since on its way you can trace the main energy levels following in the basic metabolism. It spends about 20% of the energy calculated in basal metabolism.
2. Transport of glucose in the blood through the tissues.
3. Breakdown of trace elements to the simplest amino acids.

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

Well, and the last process in the body when considering basal metabolism is the process of excretion of waste tissues. At this moment, the main metabolic end products are excreted.

The main metabolic products are:

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

In case of 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 the passage of normal metabolic processes in the basal stage, but also the prevention of poisoning of the body with spent toxins, which can also lead to very serious consequences.

The essence

The main metabolism is the basis for calculating the caloric 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 a weighted average value, which, with some amendments, is used to calculate the base calorie consumption in the body.

In its most simplified form, people subtract 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 basal metabolism is usually used:

Net weight of a person * 2.35 + the number derived from the Rubner surface law / 24. All this needs to be multiplied by the number of waking hours per day.

There is another formula.

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

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

Rubner's surface law

Another interesting factor that influences the rate and consumption of basal metabolic rate during the day is Rubner's surface law. According to this law, people with a large 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. It is much easier for people with less volume to gain weight as fewer calories can be added to their daily meals.

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 expends more energy. When we are tired, the body temperature drops. The body needs to warm up about 75 kilograms of weight in the 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 calorie content, it is 0.5 kcal per kilogram of body and liter of volume. Those. the average person spends about 300 kcal per day just for their heating. The error for tall and stout 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.

Other important feature Rubner's 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 temperature environment.

Factors affecting metabolic rate

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

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

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

1. Hormonal background.
2. Thyroid performance.
3. Heart rate.
4. The accumulation of cholesterol in the blood.

All this depends not only on the speed of the ongoing metabolic processes, but also on the whole human health.

Additional Factors Altering Basal Metabolism Size

A separate consideration is the factors that affect metabolic processes in the human body, and, consequently, can change the level of basal metabolism in one direction or another.

Outcome

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

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 an extreme set or weight loss. This is especially important for novice athletes and women, for whom the level and rate of passage of basal metabolism are decisive for the opportunity to give birth to a child.