Doctors And Scientists Say This Lesser Known Metric Is Important For Your Health

Some of the most widely known health metrics are blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar. The amount of exercise and sleep you get on a regular basis is important, too, yet there's an important metric that isn't as widely known, although it literally helps to support everyday body functions. This important health metric is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

You might be more familiar with the general concept of metabolism, which refers to the body's ability to use energy from the foot it takes in. BMR, on the other hand, is a measurement of how many calories you burn while at rest. Rather than exercise, BMR measures other ways your body uses energy, such as heart rate, respiration, hormone level regulation, digestion, cellular repair, body temperature regulation, and even hair and skin growth. Muscle mass, as part of the muscular system, significantly impacts BMR since muscles burn more calories than fat. BMR is also influenced by your age, sex, genes, diet, and activity levels.

It's worth noting that many of the functions BMR supports are done while you're at rest. BMR is not the same as your resting metabolic rate (RMR), and it's a common mistake to mix up these two metrics. RMR is primarily composed of low-effort activities that are considered separate from body functions, though they are still important. Examples include eating food, sweating, and using the bathroom. Both BMR and RMR are important in gauging how many calories you need to consume to support your body without taking in too many or too few.

Like many people, you may pay attention to how many calories you burn during exercise. However, the body functions that need the support of your BMR actually use most of your body's daily caloric intake. Notably, according to the Cleveland Clinic, your BMR accounts for 60%–70% of the total number of calories burned in a 24 hour-period.

Understanding your BMR is important for everyone, but especially for people who are trying to achieve a healthy body ratio. This is where things can get tricky, though. As Harvard Health notes, restricted calorie consumption can actually slow down your BMR, which can then make it harder for your body to burn calories. Focusing on thermogenic foods can help counteract this dilemma, as your body uses more calories to help process them. This effect is known as diet-induced thermogenesis, and is associated with protein, moderate amounts of caffeine, and unrefined carbohydrates. Building muscles via strength-training exercises can also help to raise BMR. In general, an increased muscle mass leads to an increased BMR.

While BMR is highly individual, the Cleveland Clinic says that the average is 1,410 calories per day for adult females, and 1,696 for males. This is essentially the minimum number of calories needed to support basic body functions only. If you're curious about your own BMR, a healthcare professional can order lab testing for the most accurate results. There are also online calculators you can try to give you a basic idea of BMR, but know that these do not account for some of the nuances that can affect your unique rate.