Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended while you are resting in a neutrally temperate environment, when the digestive system is inactive, which requires about twelve hours of fasting in humans. The release of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, brain and the rest of the nervous system, liver, kidneys, muscles and skin. BMR decreases with age and with the loss of lean body mass. Increased cardiovascular exercise and muscle mass can augment your BMR. Illness, previously consumed food and beverages, environmental temperature, and stress levels can affect one's overall energy expenditure, and can affect one's BMR. The Basal metabolic rate is measured under very restrictive circumstances when a person is awake, but at complete rest. An accurate BMR measurement requires that the person's sympathetic nervous system is not stimulated.