What is BMR?

BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state. It is the rate at which people burn energy while at rest.

People with naturally high BMR would burn more calories by just sitting idle! These people will burn even more calories when they exercise.

BMR depends on several factors, some of them inclue total muscle mass, thyroid gland status, food intake and sleep.

People with large muscles have high BMR. People having hyperthyroidism have high BMR. Sleep lowers BMR by 10-15%.

For someone with a high BMR, weight loss isn't a problem. They can burn calories profusely. On the other hand, someone with a low BMR is expected to put on a lot of weight with lilttle food. This is why people with hypothyroidism (reduced activity of thyroid gland) gain a lot of weight despite decrease in appetite.

There's a tumor callled Pheochromocytoma. It's a tumor of the adrenal glands that prouces large amounts of catecholamines, which boost BMR. Subjects harboring a phrochromocytoma in their abomens will obviously lose much of their weight because of high BMR produced by the tumor hormones.