Metabolic Rate

Your metabolic rate is how quickly the chemical reactions which happen inside your body take place. the most important of these is respiration. Respiration is the reaction that takes place in your cells which produces energy.

Food + Oxygen --> Carbon Dioxide + Water (+ energy)

This man has a very low metabolic rate. This woman has a very high metabolic rate.

The lady on the right actually eats a lot more than the man on the left. Why is she slim and trim but he is a fat git?

We do not all have the same metabolic rate.

It depends on

your age (it slows down a lot as you get older)

your sex (it is higher in men than women)

how much muscle / fat is in your body (the greater the proportion of muscle the higher it is)

how active you are (it increases during exercise and stays high for a while after)

how cold it is outside (when it is cold your body needs more energy to keep warm)

your parents (inherited)