Basal metabolism – is the minimum energy expenditure required to maintain the life of the organism in a state of complete rest, to the exclusion of all internal and external influences, 12 hours after a meal.

In this state, the body expends energy to the never-ending in its chemical processes. Mechanical work, which continuously perform heart, respiratory muscles, intestines, blood vessels, glandular-secretory apparatus and other organs. Significant impact on the primary exchange provides the muscle tone that is muscle tension. Basal metabolism is expressed as the amount of energy in kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoules (kJ), dedicated to all the body (or 1 kilogram of its mass) per unit time (minute, hour or day).

The main exchange of an adult is about 1 kcal per 1 kg of body weight in 1 hour. The value of basal metabolism depends on age, height, weight, sex and other factors. The basic exchange rate as a generalized intensity of redox processes depends on the state of internal organs and various external influences on the body. It can vary in under-and over nutrition, increase or decrease of physical activity, exposure of the body of climate, disturbance of function of the endocrine glands in diseases involving fever, and for many other reasons. The main exchanges at one and the same person on different days can vary by about 10%.

Basal metabolism in adults every 10 years is reduced by 7-10% and to reach the minimum age for a given body values. In old age, decreases the activity of the cells, slows metabolism and decreases muscle tone, which affects the level of basal metabolism. The decrease in basal metabolism in old age are also affected by reduction in liver weight, brain, heart and kidneys – organs in which the metabolism and therefore energy consumption is most intensive.

Basal metabolism – a consequence of the ongoing work of all components of the body cells. Therefore, with increasing body weight increases the basal metabolic rate, although this dependence is not direct: the basal metabolic rate is influenced not only body weight, but also its composition.

Metabolism is most intense in brain tissue, muscle and abdominal organs. Energy costs to maintain vital functions in the “energy-intensive” bodies much more than, for example, in adipose tissue or bone, where the metabolism is very slow. The value of individual organs, the development of skeletal and muscular systems, the degree of body fat – especially the individual performance, and they all affect the basal metabolic rate.

A special role in this process is muscle tissue, the extent of which different people have markedly different. Skeletal muscle consumes about a quarter of the energy that the body spends on the main exchange. People with well developed muscles, even in absolute peace requires much more energy. Between the development of muscle tissue and the basal metabolic rate established a clear relationship: when the same weight and height and a lean muscular person spends on the basal metabolic rate by 10-15% more energy than a full and loose, “neatlet.”

Metabolic rate and energy in adipose tissue is 3 times lower than in the rest of the cell mass of the body. Each gram of fat “burns” at 25-30% less energy than it spends for the same time, ‘average’ so-called gram lean mass. Energy consumption per kilogram body weight in obese II degrees for 20-25% less than in healthy subjects and in obese III degree – 30%. Therefore, the total amount of obesity increases basal metabolic rate is much slower than the mass of the body.

Exchange processes in women occurs less rapidly than in men. For the same increase in women less body mass, muscle system is poorly developed, and adipose tissue – is stronger. All this leads to the fact that the basal metabolic rate per kilogram of body weight in women compared with men. Accordingly, a woman in the maintenance of basal metabolism requires less energy than men of the same weight. Normally, these differences constitute 5-6%.

The level of basal metabolism depends on the mode of food rights. Prolonged food restriction or excessive food intake significantly affect the basal metabolic rate.

When limiting the power to the main exchange is reduced. Body weight at the same time can remain constant or fall – depending on individual characteristics and the quality and quantity of consumption of food consumed. Reduced basal metabolic rate by 30-35% accompanied by a pronounced manifestation of elementary dystrophy. With starvation or malnutrition expressed basal metabolism is reduced not only due to the reduction of its intensity in the muscles, but also by reducing the amount of muscle mass.

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

Basal metabolism is dependent on the quality of food, ie balance of the diet. When excessive protein diet and mostly basal metabolic rate rises, while the carbohydrate, on the contrary, decreases.

Hard work helps to increase muscle metabolism. The intensity and duration of this increase is proportional to the severity of previous work: after an intensive muscular load increases the basal metabolic rate by 5-10%. A well-trained athletes after exercise basal metabolic rate increases slightly, and untrained men muscular loads increase the basal metabolic rate is much greater.

Systematic work of the muscles causes a significant and sustained increase in basal metabolism. For example, if an exercise program every morning, a year later 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 metabolic rate is largely dependent on the state of the thyroid gland. A significant role in the regulation of oxidative processes belong pituitary gland, adrenal glands and gonads. Increase their activity increases the basal metabolic rate.

There is also evidence of conditioned reflex changes in the exchange. The upcoming hard work before her execution may increase the basal metabolic rate, and sometimes even more clearly than the actual work.

Calculate the individual metabolic rate and daily rate of calories depending on the degree of physical activity can use a calculator calories. Please note that this calculator is designed for women and gives approximate data on the level of metabolism and to calculation of calories. But the rhymes of calories is very easy to use and requires no special knowledge or skills.