respiratory quotient

noun

: a ratio indicating the relation of the volume of carbon dioxide given off in respiration to that of the oxygen consumed

Examples of respiratory quotient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In other words, those with a higher respiratory quotient lost more weight on a low-carb diet, and vice versa. —Mac Stone, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2023

Its devices provide users with a metabolic level based on the composition of a single breath, or what’s known as respiratory quotient (RQ). —Megan Tatum, Discover Magazine, 25 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

respiratory quotient

noun

: the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide given off in respiration to that of the oxygen consumed that has a value near 1 when the organism is burning chiefly carbohydrates, near 0.7 when chiefly fats, and near 0.8 when chiefly proteins but sometimes exceeding 1 when carbohydrates are being changed to fats for storage

—abbreviation RQ