basal metabolism

American  

noun

Physiology.

1. the minimal amount of energy necessary to maintain respiration, circulation, and other vital body functions while fasting and at total rest.

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basal metabolism British  

noun

1. the amount of energy required by an individual in the resting state, for such functions as breathing and circulation of the blood See basal metabolic rate

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basal metabolism Cultural  

1. The rate at which an inactive, resting organism expends energy.

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Etymology

Origin of basal metabolism

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

“That’s another contributor to your overall energy expenditure, in addition to basal metabolism and active energy expenditure.”

From Scientific American

Exercise remains central to our basal metabolism, even though it is no longer a core part of life for some human populations.

From Nature

Sloping lines represent regressions of oxygen consumption on chamber air temperature, and horizontal lines, basal metabolism.

From Project Gutenberg

This measurement represents the basal metabolism of a man at complete rest, when his oxidative activities are at their lowest ebb.

From Project Gutenberg

Intuition might whisper that a brisk resting heart rate would also correlate with an increased basal metabolism, but that isn’t the case.

From Scientific American