Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
The energy your body uses at complete rest — understanding it helps create personalised weight management plans.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and brain working. Unlike your basal metabolic rate (BMR), RMR is measured under less strict conditions and is typically slightly higher. Understanding your RMR helps Dr. Wang design a calorie target that actually works for your body.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy expenditure of the body under resting conditions, typically measured while the individual is awake but in a supine, thermoneutral environment, at least 3–4 hours after a meal. RMR constitutes approximately 60–75% of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and is influenced by lean body mass, age, sex, thyroid function, and sympathetic nervous system activity. RMR is clinically measured via indirect calorimetry or estimated using predictive equations such as the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Knowing your RMR allows for precise, personalised calorie prescriptions rather than generic recommendations — this is the foundation of medical weight management at Accord Medical Clinic.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.