Metabolism and Nutrition

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Basal Metabolic Rate is the minimal caloric requirement needed to sustain life in a resting individual. This is the amount of energy your body would burn if you slept all day (24 hours).Factors that affect BMR: Age: In youth, the BMR is higher; age brings less lean body mass and slows the BMR. Height: Tall, thin people have higher BMR's. Growth: Children and pregnant women have higher BMR's. Body Composition: The more lean tissue, the higher the BMR. The more fat tissue, the lower the BMR. Fever: Fevers can raise the BMR. Stress: Stress hormones can raise the BMR. Environmental Temperature: Both the heat and cold raise the BMR. Fasting/Starvation: Fasting/starvation hormones lower the BMR. Malnutrition: Malnutrition lowers the BMR. Thyroxin: The thyroid hormone thyroxin is a key BMR regulator; the more thyroxin produced, the higher the BMR.

 Calorimetry is the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes. Calorimetry involves the use of a calorimeter . We can measure the heat or energy of various food by using calorimetry. We can also measure energy expenditure from their consumption of oxygen at different physical activities.

Bomb calorimetry to measure calorific values of food.

Metabolic chamber to measure calorie used during physical activities

Measurement of Basal Metabolic Rate

Measurement of oxygen consumption

Lipoprotein metabolism

Calories burnt per hour of activity

% Body Weight from Specific Tissues Male Female

Muscle Bone Total Fat Essential Fat (women need more) Storage Fat Other Tissues Total

45% 15%
15% 3% 12% 25%

100%

36% 12% 27% 12% (mainly for reproduction) 15% 25% 100%

Body Composition Things that can affect these fat:body weight ratios: 1. Fitness Level and Exercise --usually leads to more lean body mass, which would increase BMR and Energy Expenditure 2. Genetics --your body size and composition may be predetermined by your genes 3. Age --the younger you are, the more lean body mass 4. Diet --less fat leads to less body fat 5. Gender --males, on the average, usually have less body fat

% Body Fat ( fat of body weight ) Ranges for Individuals: Males Exceptionally 6-10% Lean Females 10-15% (Lower you go, more chance of amenorrhea)

Very Lean Lean Moderate Overfat

11-14% 15-18% 19-24% 25%+

16-19% 20-25% 26-29% 30%+

Energy expenditure breakdown liver brain heart 27% 19% 7%

kidneys
skeletal muscle other organs

10%
18% 19%

About 70% of a human's total energy expenditure is due to the basal life processes within the organs of the body (see table). About 20% of one's energy expediture comes from physical activity and another 10% from thermogenesis, or digestion of food. All of these processes require an intake of oxygen (usually from macronutrients like carbohydrates) and expel carbon dioxide.

 The Harris Benedict equation for measuring Metabolic Rate. Basal energy expenditure, BEE: the amount of energy required to maintain the body's normal metabolic activity, i.e. respiration, maintenance of body temperature etc. Male: BEE = 66.67 + 13.75W + 5H - 6.76A Female: BEE = 665.1 + 9.56W +1.85H -4.68A. H= height in centimeters, W= weight in kg, A= age in years.

Example calculation As an example, for a 55-year-old woman, an estimated BMR might be 32 kilocalories (kcal) per square meter per hour. If her body surface area were 1.4 m, the hourly energy expenditure would be 44.8 kcal/h (32 kcal/(mh) x 1.4 m). This amounts to an energy expenditure of 1075 kcal per day (44.8 kcal x 24). The value of 1075 kilocalories, then, is the resting metabolic rate;

 RQ : Respiratory Quotient.

It is a measurement of ratio of oxygen consumed to oxidise carbon in the various food substrates.
E.g. CO2 / O2

Glucose RQ Because the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen atoms in all carbohydrates is always the same as that in water that is, 2 to 1 all of the oxygen consumed by the cells is used to oxidize the carbon in the carbohydrate molecule to form carbon dioxide. Consequently, during the complete oxidation of a glucose molecule, six molecules of carbon dioxide are produced and six molecules of oxygen are consumed. The overall equation for this reaction is:
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 6 CO2 + 6 H2O

Because the gas exchange in this reaction is equal, the respiratory quotient for carbohydrate is unity or 1.0:
6 CO2 / 6 O2 = 1 RQ

Fats RQ The chemical composition for fats differs from that of carbohydrates in that fats contain considerably fewer oxygen atoms in proportion to atoms of carbon and hydrogen. Fats are generally divided into six categories: total fats, saturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, dietary cholesterol, and trans fatty acid. From a basal metabolic or resting metabolic perspective, more energy is needed to burn a saturated fatty acid than an unsaturated fatty acid. The fatty acid molecule is broken down and categorized based on the number of carbon atoms in its molecular structure The overall equation for the substrate utilization of palmitic acid ( a saturated fat )is:
C16H32O2 + 23 O2 16 CO2 + 16 H2O

Thus the R.Q. for palmitic acid is 0.696:

16 CO(2) / 23 O2 = 0.696 RQ

Proteins RQ For proteins, metabolism R.Q. is about 0.8.

Relationship between calories used, levels of activities and BMR

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water account for most of our nutritional requirements. Vitamins and minerals are required in much smaller amounts, yet their contributions to the body's functioning are essential.

Fourteen vitamins have been shown to be essential for normal growth and health in humans. Vitamins are organic molecules (i.e., molecules containing the elements C, H, N, or O) that are needed in trace amounts to help catalyze many of the biochemical reactions in the body. The term "vitamin" derives from the words "vital amine," because the first vitamins to be discovered contained an amino group (-NR2, where R is a hydrogen or some carbon-containing functional group) in their molecular structure. The fourteen vitamins that we know today do not have any particular structure in common, nor do they share a common function, but they can be divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble molecules. In general, vitamins do not themselves provide chemical energy or act as biochemical building blocks for the body. Many vitamins (e.g., the B vitamins) assist enzymes (act as coenzymes) in activities ranging from vision to growth ability. (Enzymes are proteins or other molecules that catalyze reactions, i.e., make them go faster, without themselves being permanently transformed

 Minerals are typically defined by nutritionists as inorganic (not C, H, N, or O) elements, which are used in the body to help promote certain reactions, or form structures in the body.

Minerals are typically consumed in the form of a salt containing the mineral element and another ion. For example, the calcium in Cal Sium is in the form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Minerals, like vitamins, perform a wide variety of functions in the body. Some, such as Mg2+ and Zn2+, enable enzymes to function, catalyzing biochemical reactions. Others, such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Cl-, help to maintain electrical and water balance in the body, transmit nerve impulses, and stimulate muscle contraction.
Still others, such as Ca and P, form the compound hydroxyapatite that is responsible for bone growth and structure.

We need about

1.5 L of water daily

 A balanced diet contains about 60% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 10% fat plus fresh fruits and vegetables. With this balanced diet, there is no need for further supplemental vitamins and minerals.