Bradymetabolism

Bradymetabolism is an unusually low rate of metabolic activity, often accompanying low body temperature or reduced physiological activity. It can occur as a normal adaptation or as a sign of disease.

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Basal metabolic rate: The energy an awake, resting organism uses to maintain basic physiological functions under defined conditions. It provides a reference rate against which unusually slow metabolism can be assessed.
Hypothyroidism: A disorder in which inadequate thyroid hormone production slows many bodily functions. It is a common treatable cause of persistently low metabolic activity.
Hypermetabolism: A state in which energy use and metabolic activity are abnormally elevated. It is the direct physiological opposite of bradymetabolism.
Oxygen consumption: The amount of oxygen used by an organism or tissue over a specified time. It is a common indirect measure of aerobic metabolic activity.
Thermoregulation: The processes by which an organism maintains or adjusts its body temperature. Lower body temperature can reduce metabolic reactions and accompany bradymetabolism.
Hypothermia: A dangerous drop in core body temperature below the range needed for normal physiological function. Cooling can suppress metabolism, while bradymetabolism may complicate temperature regulation.
Fever: A regulated rise in body temperature, usually caused by a shift in the body's temperature set point during illness. Fever commonly raises metabolic demand rather than slowing it.
Heat production: The generation of thermal energy by biochemical and physiological processes. Reduced heat production often accompanies a low metabolic rate.
Thyroid hormone: Hormones produced by the thyroid gland that regulate development, heat production, and metabolic activity. Insufficient thyroid hormone can lower metabolic rate and cause cold intolerance.
Hibernation: A seasonal state in some animals involving sustained reductions in body temperature and physiological activity. It is a regulated example of profound metabolic slowing.