Which factor does not significantly affect basal metabolic rate?

Which factor does not significantly affect basal metabolic rate?

• A. Body Temperature
• B. Muscle Mass
• C. Hunger
• D. Age

Answer: (C)

Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body needs at rest to support essential functions like breathing, circulation, and cell maintenance. The amount of lean body mass largely sets this rate: more muscle means more energy burned even when you’re not active. As people age, BMR tends to decrease because they generally lose muscle and hormonal changes slow metabolism. Core body temperature also matters because warmer conditions speed up enzyme activity and metabolic processes, nudging BMR higher, while colder conditions may increase energy use to generate heat. Hunger, on the other hand, reflects signals about energy intake rather than the body's baseline energy expenditure. In the typical resting, thermoneutral state, simply feeling hungry doesn’t markedly change how much energy the body uses at rest, so hunger does not significantly affect basal metabolic rate.

Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body needs at rest to support essential functions like breathing, circulation, and cell maintenance. The amount of lean body mass largely sets this rate: more muscle means more energy burned even when you’re not active. As people age, BMR tends to decrease because they generally lose muscle and hormonal changes slow metabolism. Core body temperature also matters because warmer conditions speed up enzyme activity and metabolic processes, nudging BMR higher, while colder conditions may increase energy use to generate heat. Hunger, on the other hand, reflects signals about energy intake rather than the body's baseline energy expenditure. In the typical resting, thermoneutral state, simply feeling hungry doesn’t markedly change how much energy the body uses at rest, so hunger does not significantly affect basal metabolic rate.