Meghan Kloos, Montana Gilletti, Elanna Franklin  

Sponsor or Client: 

Title:

Devevopment of a protocol to assess RMR At Moderate Altitude

Abstract:

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the amount of energy required for essential bodily functions at rest. Energy Availability (EA) can be defined as the energy remaining for metabolic processes after subtracting the energy expended from exercise and physical activity from dietary intake. Low EA (LEA) can have detrimental physiological effects, such as a suppression of reproductive hormones and metabolic processes, causing a reduction in RMR, which can negatively impact musculoskeletal health, bone density, immune function and other essential physiological processes (4, 5). A measured RMR (mRMR) to predicted RMR (pRMR) ratio less than 0.9 can indicate risk of LEA (3). Valid RMR measurements are integral for this assessment. There has not been substantial research studying how RMR is impacted in moderate altitude dwellers. The purpose of this pilot study is to 1. Examine the within test variability of RMR at moderate altitude (~2000 m) and 2. To apply RMR ratio (mRMR: pRMR) using the Mifflin St Jeor (1990) equation in college students (1). Comparing this data to the pRMR allows for the assessment of possible LEA and variation of RMR at moderate altitude.