Question

Comment on factors that might make your actual RMR lower or higher. For example, while formulas take into account gender, age, and body size, formulas cannot account for thyroid hormone, nutritional status, race, and genetics

Answer 1

Answer: Factors That Affects Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) are:

1) Body mass
A person with a greater body weight will have a higher resting metabolism than a smaller person because their body has to work ?harder? to support and maintain the extra weight.

2) Body composition
Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Research indicates one pound of muscle expends 3-5 times more calories than one pound of fat.

3) Age
Metabolism declines naturally in adults at a rate of about 2-3% per decade because of loss of lean muscle mass.

4) Gender
Men normally have a higher metabolism than women primarily because of body mass and body composition.

5) Hormones
Certain hormones can increase or decrease metabolism. For example, lower than normal thyroid levels can result in approximately 15% decrease in resting metabolism and it is estimated that there may be up to a 5% increase in resting metabolism during the luteal phase of a woman's menstrual cycle.

6) Nutritional supplements
Certain supplements can increase or decrease metabolism. Ephedrine can increase resting metabolism 3-16% in doses ranging from 0.25 mg to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. Research studies conclude that consuming caffeine in differing amounts between 5 mg to 100 mg per kilogram of body weight per day increases resting metabolism up to 7%.