If you've ever tried a diet, you've probably heard the term "basal metabolism" at least once. Basal metabolism is the minimum amount of energy that we consume in a day to sustain our lives. The amount of this amount is thought to have various effects on our health.
In this article, under the commentary of Dr. Saki Yamamoto, a specialist in diabetes and endocrinology, we will introduce the effects of basal metabolism on human health and methods for increasing basal metabolic rate.
Average Basal Metabolic Rate
The basal metabolic rate is the minimum amount of energy that a healthy person needs to consume to sustain life. More specifically, it refers to "the energy expended by the human body to maintain heart rate, breathing, temperature regulation, etc. in a state of rest without movement." Although there are differences depending on gender and age, the average basal metabolic rate is considered to be around 1,500 kcal per day for adult males and around 1,200 kcal for adult females in Japan.
In other words, to put it in an extreme way, even if you just shut yourself up in your room on a holiday and watch videos or play games, an adult male consumes about 1,500 kcal, and an adult female consumes 1,200 kcal. It means that you are.
Calculation method of basal metabolic rate
The basal metabolic rate differs depending on the height and weight of each individual. As a calculation method for calculating it, the "Harris-Benedict formula" is widely known.
"The Harris Benedict formula can be calculated using height, weight, and age, but it is complicated, so it is recommended to use simple calculation tools such as the Internet and apps."
Male: 66.47 + [13.75 x weight (kg)] + [5.0 x height (cm)] - [6.75 x age] Female: 655.1 + [9.56 x weight (kg)] + [1.85 x height (cm) ]－[4.68×age]
According to this formula, calculate the basal metabolic rate of the following two people.
【40 year old male: 170cm/70kg】
66.47 + [13.75 x 70] + [5.0 x 170] - [6.75 x 40] = about 1,609 kcal
【20 year old male: 170cm/70kg】
66.47 + [13.75 x 70] + [5.0 x 170] - [6.75 x 20] = about 1,744 kcal
Assuming the same height and weight, if the ages are 20 years apart, the difference in basal metabolic rate will be 130 kcal.
"The basal metabolic rate peaks in the teens, and after that, it declines with age, and then drops sharply in the middle-aged and older years. A high basal metabolism increases the amount of energy consumed per day. It can be said that it is difficult to gain weight, and if it is low, it will be difficult to lose weight.It can be said that increasing basal metabolism to create a body that is difficult to gain weight and eliminate obesity will prevent lifestyle-related diseases.”
What to do to increase your basal metabolic rate
If your basal metabolic rate is high, you will be able to obtain a body that is less likely to gain weight, and it will also help prevent lifestyle-related diseases in the future. many. Then, if you ask how you can raise your basal metabolic rate, it is to increase your muscle mass.
"Basal metabolism is the energy consumed by each organ and tissue in the body in a resting state, but 22% of it is thought to be consumed by skeletal muscle. Abundant skeletal muscle The basal metabolism of a good athlete is higher than that of people of the same age, height, and weight.In other words, increasing muscle mass is an important point in order to increase the basal metabolism.”
In addition, cold weather and disturbance of the intestinal environment also contribute to decreased metabolism, so it is important to keep the body warm and to improve the intestinal environment to increase the basal metabolic rate. Dr. Yamamoto speaks.
Four lifestyle habits that increase your basal metabolic rate
In order to increase your basal metabolic rate, it is essential to increase your muscle mass. should be incorporated into your lifestyle.
Start walking or jogging for 15 minutes a day at least three times a week.
Using light dumbbells of about 0.5 to 2 kg, it is good to train mainly large muscles such as arms, thighs, and buttocks.
It is also important to train the inner muscles that cannot be trained by normal muscle training with abdominal breathing.
Even if you are doing aerobic exercise and muscle training, it is meaningless if you are eating and drinking too much. One soup and three side dishes is ideal, but even if you can't go that far, you should be aware of the main and side dishes, and try not to end your meal with a single item such as donburi or ramen. .
"If you don't get enough exercise that leads to muscle weakness and obesity, or if you have an unbalanced diet, your basal metabolic rate will decrease. It will not improve your constitution.It is necessary to continue it for a long time.Also, consider your age and underlying disease, and do it within a reasonable range.”
Ingenuity in diet to increase basal metabolism
In order to increase basal metabolic rate, it is important to build muscle strength while paying attention to obesity. In doing so, it is more efficient to consider the balance between the amount of calories to be ingested per day and the nutrients in the diet.
The estimated daily energy requirement is calculated by adding the basal metabolic rate calculated above to the "physical activity level" (an index obtained by dividing the total amount of energy consumed per day by the basal metabolic rate per day). It can be grasped by the multiplied value.
The level of physical activity differs depending on the person's lifestyle. A person who has no opportunity to exercise at all is rated as "I", and a person who has a regular exercise habit is rated as "III".
Physical activity level (Source: Japan Medical Association)
| Physical activity level I-III | Index obtained by dividing total energy consumption per day by basal metabolic rate per day |
|---|---|
| Ⅰ | Most of your life is sedentary and static activities are predominant |
| II | < td> Jobs that are centered on a sitting position, but include movement within the workplace, work in a standing position, customer service, etc., or commuting, shopping, housework, light sports, etc.|
| III | Persons engaged in jobs that require a lot of movement or standing. |
What is the relationship between your age and physical activity level estimated from the table above? As follows.
For example, if the physical activity level of the 40-year-old male mentioned above is "II," the estimated daily energy requirement is
1,609kcal(basal metabolic rate)×1.75=2,815kcal
.
"In this energy, it is necessary to take carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and other nutrients in a well-balanced manner. In particular, protein is ideal for increasing muscle mass. It can also cause you to lose weight, so try to eat in a well-balanced manner.Also, it would be nice to take in vitamin D. Let's try to get enough sunlight so that vitamin D works well in the body."
Protein-rich foods: meat, fish, beans, dairy products, etc. Vitamin D-rich foods: sardines, saury, salmon, whitebait, mushrooms, etc.
Summary
The basal metabolism is the minimum amount of energy that we consume in a day to keep us alive, and the approximate amount can be determined by using the Harris-Benedict formula. The higher the basal metabolic rate, the less likely it is to gain weight and the easier it is to lose weight, and it becomes important to increase muscle mass in order to increase the basal metabolic rate.
There are several ways to effectively increase your basal metabolic rate, so it's best to start with what you can do.
Saki YamamotoAfter initial clinical training at a university hospital in Tokyo, joined the Department of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology at the same hospital. She is a Diabetologist and Endocrinologist. Currently, he is engaged in internal medicine, mainly in the field of diabetes metabolism and endocrinology, at a university hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture. A member of the En Women's Medical Association.
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