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Basal Metabolic Rate and Physical Activity Level

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physical activity level (PAL) are measures of energy requirement and activeness respectively.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)

  • BMR - the absolute minimum level of energy required to stay alive. It covers basic life processes, like breathing and maintaining a heartbeat.
  • These processes can take up almost 75% of our daily energy use. The rest is used up by processes like digestion and physical activity.
Factors affecting BMR

Factors affecting BMR

  • Age - our muscle mass reduces with age. This causes BMR to decrease.
  • Gender - as women are generally smaller and have less muscle mass than men, they tend to have lower BMRs than men.
  • Exercise/physical activity - the more a person exercises, the more muscle they'll build up. This will raise their BMR.
  • Height and weight - the larger or heavier a person's body, the more calories they need and the higher their BMR.
Physical activity level (PAL)

Physical activity level (PAL)

  • PAL - a measure of how much exercise someone does or how active they are.
  • The more active a person, the higher their PAL will be.
Daily energy requirement equation

Daily energy requirement equation

  • Daily energy requirement (kcal) = BMR × PAL
Balancing energy intake

Balancing energy intake

  • To stay at a healthy weight, a person must balance their energy intake.
    • A person will gain weight if they consume more energy than they use.
    • A person will lose weight if they consume less energy than they use.
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