Gender-specific correlations between body composition and basal metabolic rate in university students: A cross sectional study

Objective: Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body composition parameters are essential indicators of an individual's health status. This study aimed to (1) compare health parameters between male and female university students and (2) analyze the influence of body composition on BMR in both genders. Materials and Methods: Forty students (20 males, 20 females) from the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, were selected using stratified random sampling. Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. BMR and body composition parameters, including intracellular water, extracellular water, total body water (TBW), fat mass, fat-free mass (FFM), and protein mass, were assessed using an IN-Body analyzer. Results: Males had significantly higher BMR, TBW, and FFM than females (p