Quote:
Matthew Gano wrote:
Genetics plays a big factor in how well this basic formula works, but generally speaking this seems to be the way things work.
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Not really. Genetics does play a role in the relative amounts of bone, muscle ,etc (some folks do have bigger bones) and that is why BMI, and % body fat from density measures are estimates usually +/- 10% accuracy. To get real accurate numbers (+/-1%) fancy methods (like DEXA dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) to directly measure the density of the various tissues are needed.
Genetics can also play a role in the efficiency of the metabolism. Big factor? I actually don't know a study that shows the typical variation in metabolic rates for various populations but I doubt it is very much (15% would be a bunch - but I could be wrong). I have seen studies that show 6% variation in oxygen intake (a strong indicator of metabolic rates) due to the season (winter versus summer).