What does metabolism refer to?

• A. The rate at which you burn calories during exercise
• B. The amount of energy the body uses just to keep it alive
• C. The energy used for growth and repair
• D. The energy stored as fat

Answer: (B)

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions in the body that convert fuel from food into the energy and building blocks the body needs to function. The energy you use just to stay alive at rest is called your basal metabolic rate, and it covers essential activities like breathing, circulating blood, keeping your body temperature steady, and cell maintenance. So metabolism isn’t only about exercise or about storing energy as fat; it’s the whole process of how the body uses energy for all its basic functions and for growth and repair as needed.