Impact of Exercise and Diet

on Resting Metabolic Rate

By Sonali Tushamer
MPT Semester 1
 What is Metabolism
• The metabolism of the body simply
means all the chemical reactions in
all the cells of the body
• The metabolic rate is normally
expressed in terms of the rate of
heat liberation during chemical
reactions or The rate at which the
body uses energy.
• Estimates of energy expenditure at
rest and during exercise are often
based on measurement of whole-
body oxygen consumption ( VO2)
and its caloric equivalent.

The caloric equivalent associated with an RER value of 0.80 is 4.80 kcal per liter of O2
consumed
 What is Basal Metabolic Rate
• Total daily energy expenditure
(TDEE):
1. Resting metabolic rate,
which includes basal and sleeping
conditions plus the added cost of
arousal.
2. Thermogenic influence of
consumed food.
3. Energy expended during
physical activity and recovery.
• This minimum level of energy
required to carry on essential
physiological functions called the
basal metabolic rate (BMR).
One standardized measure of
How to measure BMR
The usual method for determining BMR is to measure the rate of
oxygen utilization over a given period of time under the following
conditions:
1. The person must not have eaten food for at least 12 hours.
2. The BMR is determined after a night of restful sleep.
3. No strenuous activity is performed for at least 1 hour before the
test.
4. All psychic and physical factors that cause excitement must be
eliminated.
5. The temperature of the air must be comfortable and between 68°
and 80°F.
6. No physical activity is permitted during the test.
 RMR vs BMR
• Instead of BMR, most researchers measure
resting metabolic rate (RMR).
• Which is similar to BMR but does not require the
stringent standardized conditions associated with
a true BMR
• Basal metabolic rate and RMR values are typically
within 5% to 10% of each other, with BMR slightly
lower, and range from 1,200 to 2,400 kcal/day.
• But the average total metabolic rate of an
individual engaged in normal daily activity ranges
from 1,800 to 3,000 kcal.
 Factors affecting BMR
• Fat-free mass : Because muscle has high metabolic activity, the BMR is directly
related to an individual’s fat-free mass and is generally reported in kilocalories per
kilogram of fat-free mass per minute (kcal · kg FFM−1 · min−1).
• Body surface area : The higher the surface area, the more heat loss occurs from the
skin, which raises the BMR because more energy is needed to maintain body
temperature. For this reason, the BMR is sometimes reported in kcal per square
meter of body surface area per hour (kcal · m−2 · h−1).
• Age: BMR gradually decreases with increasing age, generally because of a decrease
in fat-free mass.
• Body temperature: BMR increases with increasing temperature.

• Psychological stress: Stress increases activity of the sympathetic nervous system,

which increases the BMR.
• Hormones: For example, increased release of thyroxine from the thyroid gland or
epinephrine from the adrenal medulla can both increase the BMR.
RMR Calculation
 How to Calculate RMR
• Since BMR depends on body surface area. BMR is
expressed as kCal per body surface area (BSA) per hour,
or kCalm2h1.
• Body mass (BM), stature (S in centimeters), and age (A
in years) can successfully predict RDEE with sufficient
accuracy using the following equations.
• Equations for women and men are:
Women: RDEE = 655 + (9.6 X BM) + (1.85 X S) + (4.7 X
A)
Men: RDEE = 66.0 + (13.7 X BM) + (5.0 X S) + (6.8 X A)
*RDEE = Resting daily energy Expenditure
 Impact of
Exercise on
RMR
Generally Exercises has
positive impact on RMR,
but the Type of exercise
and its effect may vary for
short and long duration.
 Resistance Exercise
• Resistance exercise programme has the capacity to increase RMR. Because
Resistance training causes upregulation of anabolic processes within skeletal
muscle resulting in hypertrophy and increased muscle cross-sectional area. (The
effect of exercise interventions on resting metabolic rate: A systematic review
and meta-analysis Kristen MacKenzie-Shalders, may 2020).
• Intermittent high intensity resistance exercise significantly increased metabolic rate
14 hours after completing the exercise protocols and only slight, non-significant
changes in RMR were observed 24 hours post exercise.(A Comparison of Effects
Between Post Exercise Resting Metabolic Rate after Thirty Minutes of
Intermittent Treadmill and Resistance Exercise; Julie Meuret; 2007).
• Short-term elevation in RMR in response to single exercise events (generally
termed the excess post-exercise O2 consumption; EPOC). This EPOC appears to
have two phases, one lasting < 2 h and a smaller much more prolonged effect
lasting up to 48 h, Long-term effects of training include increases in RMR due to
increases in lean muscle mass. Extreme interventions, however, may induce
reductions in RMR, in spite of the increased lean tissue mass.(Physical activity and
resting metabolic rate John R. Speakman and Colin Selman, 2003)
 Aerobic Exercise
• Aerobic exercise did not significantly increase RMR as compared to non exercising
individulas. Aerobic exercise has the capacity to induce modest hypertrophy but the effect
may be dependent on the mode and intensity of aerobic exercise and the physical activity
status of the participant. (The effect of exercise interventions on resting metabolic rate:
A systematic review and meta-analysis Kristen MacKenzie-Shalders, may 2020).
• No significant change in RMR was found after endurance exercise in untrained individuals.
But Endurance training may have prevented a decline in RMR which shown in non
exercising individuals. This preventive effect may have been related to a significant
training induced increase in fat oxidation.(Resting Metabolic Rate after Endurance
Exercise Training; MAN-GYOON LEE, DARLENE A. SEDLOCK, MICHAEL G. FLYNN, and
GARY H. KAMIMORI; 2008)
• Endurance-based physical exercise program is not sufficient to bring about significant
favourable modifications in the body composition of male seniors reporting lengthy
periods of sedentary lifestyle or even reduce BMR, although such a program is capable of
substantially improving cardiopulmonary condition.(Analysis of resting metabolic rate
and body composition in elderly males before and after six months of endurance
exercise; Hanna K.M. Antunes, Ruth F. Santos, Rita A. Boscolo, Orlando F.A. Bueno and
Marco Túlio de Mello;2004)
 Anaerobic Exercise :
• Intermittent high intensity treadmill running significantly
increased metabolic rate 14 hours after completing the
exercise protocols. However, there were no significant
differences on metabolic rate 24 hours after completing the
exercise protocols.Intermittent high intensity treadmill
protocol produced the greatest kilocalorie expenditure. (A
Comparison of Effects Between Post Exercise Resting
Metabolic Rate after Thirty Minutes of Intermittent Treadmill
and Resistance Exercise; Julie Meuret; 2007).
 Resistance and Aerobic exercise: Exercise-combined (i.e.,
resistance exercise and aerobic exercise) did not significantly
increase RMR as compared to non exercising individulas.(The
effect of exercise interventions on resting metabolic rate: A
systematic review and meta-analysis Kristen
MacKenzie-Shalders, may 2020).
 Resistance and Anaerobic exercises: The greatest changes in resting
metabolism occurred at the 14 hour EPOC measurement, where both the
intermittent high intensity treadmill and the intermittent high intensity
resistance protocols produced similar increases in metabolism.
intermittent high intensity resistance exercise created a larger EPOC effect,
the intermittent high intensity treadmill protocol still produced a 56%
greater kilocalorie expenditure over the 24 hour period.(2007)
• In practice, the intermittent high intensity treadmill exercise could be
completed more frequently, possibly 20 times a month, while the
intermittent high intensity resistance exercise is likely to be completed less
frequently, possibly 12 times a month. A combination of both protocols
would be recommended for a well rounded fitness routine. (A Comparison
of Effects Between Post Exercise Resting Metabolic Rate after Thirty
Minutes of Intermittent Treadmill and Resistance Exercise; Julie Meuret;
2007).
 Impact of Diet on BMR
The metabolism adjusts to changes in diet
• If calories are increased
– Thermo-genesis
• Body heat is produced
– Metabolism increases
– Muscle mass may increase
• If calories are restricted
– Metabolism decreases
– Muscle mass may decrease

 Literature Review
• the positive associations between LBM, BMR, and dietary EI are gender-dependent, with
a significant association between LBM and intake of PRO and FAT in females, but not in
males. In this scenario, LBM-related increases in EE must be compensated by increased
PRO and FAT intake via peripheral or central mechanisms. As a result, in the current
energy-rich and nutrient-poor food environment, the drive to maintain LBM may
promote increased energy intake and lead to overconsumption, especially among
females.(Basal Metabolic Rate and Body Composition Predict Habitual Food and
Macronutrient Intakes: Gender Differences, 2019)
• These results suggest that individuals with higher LBM need more energy to
preserve body mass [18] and LBM is a more powerful driver of daily EI. One
possibility is that cytokins, such as IL-6, mysostatin, and IGF-1, which are released
by the muscle tissue, may act as a powerful orexigenic signal to the central nervous
system to control EI. Previously, lean tissue has been reported to act a an
orexigenic feedback signal during periods of weight loss and weight regain. (Basal
Metabolic Rate and Body Composition Predict Habitual Food and Macronutrient
Intakes: Gender Differences, 2019)

• VLCK-diet favors the maintenance of RMR within the expected range for FFM
changes and avoids the metabolic adaptation phenomenon. This finding might
explain the long-term positive effects of VLCKdiets on weight loss. The rapid and
sustained weight reduction induced by the VLCK diet did not induce the expected
drop in RMR, this observation was not due to a sympathetic tone counteraction
through the increase of either catecholamines, leptin or thyroid hormones, and the
most plausible cause of the null reduction of RMR is the preservation of lean mass
(muscle mass) observed with this type of diet.(Resting metabolic rate of obese
patients under very low calorie ketogenic diet; Diego Gomez-Arbelaez, Ana B.
Crujeiras, Ana I. Castro, Miguel A. Martinez-Olmos, Ana Canton, Lucia Ordoñez-
Mayan, Ignacio Sajoux, Cristobal Galban, Diego Bellido and Felipe F. Casanueva;
2018).

• Diet alone showed no differences in RMR after treatment, although previous

studies have suggested that a reduced-calorie diet may lead to a decrease in
muscle mass, promoting RMR reduction
 Impact of Diet and Exercise on BMR
• Diet plus exercise-induced weight loss also significantly
increased RMR. (The effects of diet- and diet plus
exercise-induced weight loss on basal metabolic rate
and acylated ghrelin in grade 1 obese subjects, 2013)
1. Dietary intervention associated with exercise training
was able to reduce AG concentrations and increase
RMR in grade 1 obese subjects, factors considered
essential to ensure the benefits of a weight-loss
program.
2. Diet plus exercise-induced weight loss also significantly
increased RMR, which may be related to the
maintenance of muscle mass observed in this group.
Because fat-free mass did not decrease significantly in
this group, these results may indicate that physical
exercise has an effect on RMR values in obese subjects
when in combination with a weight-reduction diet .
3. Duration of treatment to achieve the targeted 5% body
mass reduction, which was different between groups
(DG 85 days vs D+EG 74 days).