basal metabolic rate n.
Abbr. BMR The rate at which energy is used by an organism at complete rest, measured in humans by the heat given off per unit time, and expressed as the calories released per kilogram of body weight or per square meter of body surface per hour.
| basal metabolic rate The rate at which energy is used by an organism at complete rest, measured in humans by the heat given off per unit time, and expressed as the calories released per kilogram of body weight or per square meter of body surface per hour. |
index of the general level of activity of an individual's body metabolism, determined by measuring his oxygen intake in the basal state-i.e., during absolute rest, but not sleep, 14 to 18 hours after eating. The higher the amount of oxygen consumed in a certain time interval, the more active is the oxidative process of the body and the higher is the rate of body metabolism. The BMR has been used in measuring the general metabolic state during therapy. It was formerly widely used to assess thyroid function, since the thyroid hormones are prime regulators of tissue oxidation and metabolism; but, since the advent of radioactive-isotope tests and thyroid-hormone studies, BMR measurements have fallen into disuse.