Estimating resting metabolic rate in older Chinese adults:A community-based study integrating dietary predictors

Resting metabolic rate (RMR), which accounts for 60% to 75% of total daily energy expenditure, is critical for formulating appropriate nutrition plans and for the prevention of overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to systematically consider dietary and other factors affecting RMR and propose a predictive equation for the older adults.

A total of 373 elderly participants aged 60 to 89 years (205 males) were included in this study. RMR was measured using indirect calorimetry (IC). One-on-one measurements and questionnaires were used to collect data on height, weight, waist circumference, physical activity, sleep duration, and food consumption frequency. Multiple linear regression was used to construct models, which were compared with existing equations.

The RMR values of the study participants ranged from 652 to 1635 kcal/d. The average RMR for males and fe-males was 1175.3 ± 167.9 kcal/d and 1001.5 ± 159.7 kcal/d, respectively. Two models were constructed using multiple regression, with variables including sex, weight, fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), age, and animal offal consumption. The newly established formula demonstrated better accuracy than the other formulas based on comparisons of biases, Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC), root mean square errors (RMSE), accuracies, and Bland-Altman plots.

This study developed new RMR predictive equations for individuals aged 60 and above. The newly developed equations in-corporates animal offal consumption and demonstrates higher predictive performance compared to other equations.