What is defined as resting metabolic rate (RMR)?

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) refers to the number of calories your body requires to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest, such as breathing, circulation, and cell production. This measurement represents the energy expenditure necessary for vital processes that sustain life, and it accounts for the majority of daily calorie expenditure in sedentary individuals.

Understanding RMR is crucial for fitness and nutritional planning, as it helps in determining how many calories an individual needs to consume to maintain or change body weight. Factors influencing RMR include age, gender, body composition, and genetics, among others.

While there are other forms of energy expenditure, such as calories burned during physical activity (like exercise), the energy used during sleep, and the thermic effect of food (the energy needed for digestion), these do not define RMR. Each of these areas contributes to total daily energy expenditure but are distinct from the baseline metabolic rate measured at rest.