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How many calories do you burn at rest per pound of muscle?


The number of calories your body burns at rest is determined by your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to perform essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, regulating temperature, and staying awake. It comprises about 60-75% of your total calorie expenditure per day.

Several factors affect your BMR, including your muscle mass. Muscle tissue is metabolically active, meaning it consumes more energy (calories) than fat tissue at rest. So the more muscle you have, the higher your BMR will be. This leads to the question – how many calories does each pound of muscle burn per day at rest? Let’s dig into the details.

What Determines Your BMR?

Your basal metabolic rate is influenced by:

– Age: BMR decreases as you get older.
– Sex: Men tend to have a higher BMR because they have more muscle mass.
– Body size and composition: People with more muscle mass have a higher BMR.
– Genetics: Some people inherit a naturally faster or slower metabolism.

Of these factors, body composition plays the biggest role. Muscle mass is the most metabolically active tissue in your body. Having more muscle raises your BMR because muscle burns more calories around the clock.

To sustain itself, each pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day at rest. Meanwhile, each pound of fat burns only 2 calories per day. This explains why muscular people can eat more calories without gaining weight – their BMR is higher.

Calorie Burn Per Pound of Muscle

Research shows that each pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day at rest:

– A 2001 study found that skeletal muscle burns about 13 calories per kilogram (6 calories per pound) at rest.
– Another study showed muscle burns about 54 kcal per kg (24 kcal per pound) per day. But about 80% of this is attributable to basal metabolism – equating to around 6 calories per pound.
– Various exercise physiology textbooks and experts cite a range of 5-7 calories per pound of muscle per day needed to sustain the muscle tissue.

So while the exact number varies slightly, most research confirms that each pound of muscle burns around 6 calories per day at rest.

For example, if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, you’ll burn about 60 more calories per day at rest. That adds up to 21,900 extra calories burned per year – equivalent to more than 6 pounds of fat!

Estimating Your Calorie Burn

To estimate the calories your muscle mass burns per day:

1. Determine your total body weight in pounds. For example: 150 pounds

2. Estimate your body fat percentage. This can be done via:

– Skin fold test
– Bioelectrical impedance analysis scale
– Comparison to average percentages

For example, let’s say your body fat is 15%.

3. Subtract your body fat weight from your total weight to determine your lean body mass.

In our example:

Total weight: 150 lbs
Body fat: 15%
Lean mass: 150 x (1 – 0.15) = 127.5 lbs

4. Multiply your lean mass by 6 calories per pound per day.

For our example: 127.5 lbs x 6 cal/lb/day = 765 calories

So if you weigh 150 lbs with 15% body fat, your lean muscle mass burns around 765 calories per day at rest. The more muscle you build, the higher this resting calorie burn will be.

Ways to Increase Your Muscle Mass

Here are some effective strategies to build muscle and boost your resting metabolic rate:

Strength training: Lifting weights provides the mechanical tension and muscle damage required to build muscle. Aim for at least 2 full-body workouts per week.

Eat sufficient protein: Shoot for 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight to maximize muscle protein synthesis from your diet. Include high protein foods like meats, dairy, eggs, and protein powders.

Progress your workouts: Gradually increase weight, sets, and reps over time to continue challenging your muscles. Muscle growth occurs when you push beyond your comfort zone.

Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours per night. Sleep is when your body secretes muscle-building hormones and repairs damaged muscle fibers.

Manage stress: High cortisol levels increase muscle breakdown. Minimize stress via meditation, yoga, massage, etc.

Implementing these evidence-based strategies can help you gain several pounds of metabolically active muscle. This will significantly boost the calories you burn at rest.

The Impact on Weight Loss

Gaining just 2-3 pounds of muscle can increase your resting calorie burn by up to 100 calories per day. Over time, this can really accelerate fat loss.

Let’s say you currently weigh 150 pounds with a BMR of 1350 calories per day. You implement a strength training program and build 3 pounds of muscle over 6 months.

Those extra 3 pounds of muscle would burn about 18 more calories per day. Over 1 year, that’s equivalent to burning an extra:

– 126,000 calories
– 36 pounds of fat

This demonstrates the metabolic power of muscle and its ability to boost passive calorie burning around the clock. Even marginal muscle gains translate to significant fat loss over time.

Should You Only Focus on Muscle Growth?

While building muscle will raise your BMR, it’s only one part of the weight loss equation. You cannot ignore the importance of nutrition and being in an overall calorie deficit.

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis through:

Cardio exercise: Burn extra calories through aerobic activities like running, cycling, and HIIT workouts.

Calorie tracking: Monitor your intake to ensure you are eating in a deficit. Apps like MyFitnessPal make this simple.

Portion control: Use smaller plates, weigh portions, and avoid overeating to control calorie consumption.

Nutrient-dense foods: Focus on low energy density foods like fruits, veggies, and lean proteins to maximize nutrition per calorie.

While muscle growth can increase calorie burn by 50-100 calories daily, cardio and diet still need to produce the bulk of the deficit for significant weight loss. Shoot for a 500-1000 calorie daily deficit split between diet and exercise.

Conclusion

Research confirms that each pound of muscle tissue burns about 6 calories per day at rest. The more muscle you build through strength training and proper nutrition, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be.

While muscle is metabolically active, it’s important not to overlook the importance of cardio and diet for weight loss. A combination of muscle building, cardio training, and controlled nutrition is optimal for shedding pounds.

Aim to gain 2-3 pounds of muscle over 3-6 months through progressive strength training. Combined with a moderate daily calorie deficit, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your metabolism and achieving your weight loss goals.

Lean Body Mass (lbs) Calories Burned Per Day
120 720
130 780
140 840
150 900