Caloric requirements depend on six main factors that affect it. These factors are gender, age, weight, basal metabolic rate, lean body mass, and daily activities. Determining the factors that affect daily caloric intake gives you a clear idea of what your daily caloric needs are. The generic charts that take age, gender, and weight and activity levels are approximations of what your daily calorie intake should be. They’re helpful, but for a higher level of accuracy, basal metabolic rate and lean body mass should also be thrown into the mix.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the total of all energy used for basic bodily functions. This is unique to physical activities like exercise. It is responsible for digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell building, and all other bodily processes. BMR includes two thirds or approximately sixty percent of the total daily caloric expenditure. Simply put, your BMR is the total calories you need to stay alive. BMR varies and is affected by genetics. Some are injured with high BMR while others are struggling. It is at its lowest point when a person is sleeping. This is the time when the body is not digesting anything.
Physical activities must be taken into account when calculating daily caloric needs. Next to BMR, physical activities are the most important determinant of daily caloric allowance. This includes exercise and all other activities that make up your day. A sedentary person is expected to have fewer caloric allowances for physical activities. More activities mean more calories expended. Weight is another considerable factor. One weight means more cells to feed and therefore requires a higher calorie intake. This is also the reason why people who weigh more expend more calories during exercise than those who weigh less.
Lean Body Mass (LBM) is a more accurate way to determine your caloric needs. A high LBM means a high BMR. Determining your lean body mass is simply separating the lean parts of your body from the fat. Muscles are active tissues and require more calories to function properly. Age and gender affect metabolic rate and therefore affect daily caloric intake. Males have more muscles and require a higher amount of calories. Older people have a slower metabolic rate than younger people. Also, older people are more likely to have fewer daily physical activities.
Eating adequate amounts of food is one way to ensure maintenance of a healthy weight. Choosing the right types of food to meet your daily caloric needs doesn’t just regulate weight. It also gives you vital nutrients to improve health. Tailoring your calorie needs around the factors that affect them allows you to balance what you eat and what you spend.
