basal metabolism
- noun
- /ˈbeɪsəl mɛtəˈbɒlɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
metabolismo basal
- Monitoring basal metabolism is crucial for athletes who want to optimize their training and recovery.
Examples
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To lose weight effectively, it's important to understand your basal metabolism, as it determines the energy your body needs at rest.
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The production of heat by a person's body comes from three different sources: heat from the basal metabolism, heat from food ingestion, and heat from muscular activity.
Academic text (2007) -
Father, remember your basal metabolism.
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There are probably both changes in basal metabolism and energy balance that explain this.
Academic text (2007) -
The basal metabolism is the combination of all biological processes that are fundamental to maintaining life at the lowest of levels.
Academic text (2007) -
A person's basal metabolism can vary based on factors like age, gender, and activity level.
Synonyms
9
4.2
How fast the body uses energy
1
4.9
How fast the body uses energy while resting to keep breathing and stay warm
1
6.3
The energy your body uses while resting to stay alive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'minimal/basic metabolism' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'basal' (basic, at the base) with 'metabolism' (energy-converting processes), so the phrase names the baseline metabolic activity. This adjective+noun composition follows a normal compositional pattern and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings, despite 'basal' being somewhat more technical.
Etymology
Basal metabolism comes from a simple image: basal means the 'base' or lowest level and metabolism is how the body uses energy, like an engine running quietly. So, imagine your body idling to keep your heart, brain and breathing working when you are 'resting'—the phrase means the 'minimal amount of energy needed when resting'.