Armand Tecco, M.Ed. And people with a high metabolism seem to devour doughnuts with no noticeable effect. First, understand that the basal metabolic rate is the process by which food is converted to energy. The amount of energy used by the body can be measured by the amount of heat produced by it.
Basal energy is the minimum level of energy required to maintain normal body temperature.
A low basal metabolic rate can cause you to gain weight more easily and have a harder time losing weight than someone whose metabolic rate is relatively high. If you have a low rate, it is not because your metabolism is naturally sluggish, it is that you have a low level of muscle mass. The higher the ratio of muscle tissue to fat, the faster the metabolic rate. Someone with more muscle and a high metabolic rate uses up more energy per minute and is less likely to store food energy as fat than a person with a lower metabolic rate. As we age, our basal metabolic rate becomes progressively slower.