Metabolic turnover rate: A physiological meaning of the metabolic rate per unit body weight

Abstract

In analogy to “specific gravity” or “specific heat” the expression “weight specific metabolic rate” (Ultsch, 1973) would be correct if the metabolic rate were directly proportional to body weight. In that case the quotient metabolic rate divided by body weight would be a constant, independent of body weight like density or specific heat are constants. The metabolic rate, however, is not proportional to body weight but to its 3 4 power. I have stated that heat flow per unit body weight has no proper physical or physiological meaning (Kleiber, 1970), but since found such a physiological meaning: in work with tracers turnover rates are measured as quotients of transfer rates/pool content. For similometric animals pool contents are proportional to body weight. For such animals therefore the quotient metabolic rate/body weight may have a proper physiological meaning, namely the turnover rate of chemical energy in the animal body. The usefulness of the turnover rate is limited. For the calculation of the energy requirement of horizontal animal locomotion, for example, the calculation from the metabolic rate per animal is preferable to the calculation based on the metabolic rate per unit body weight.