The Effect of Ambon Banana (Musa acuminata cola) Diet on Young Adults' Resting Metabolic Rate

Young adults (18-25 years) are vulnerable to experiencing imbalanced energy levels. To maintain energy balance, they must control their appetite and drive to eat. This can be done by reducing the resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR is a significant component of total energy expenditure (TEE). Ambonese banana (Musa acuminata cola), which contains inorganic nitrate, can increase nitrite oxide (NO) in the body, which has an essential role in reducing RMR by increasing the efficiency of mitochondrial respiration. This research is experimental with a pretest–posttest design. The subjects were 80 medical students of Muhammadiyah Malang University. RMR was measured using an indirect calorimeter. Analysis of data used t dependent test. The result of the t-conditional test showed that there were significant differences between RMR pre-experiment and post-experiment of the treatment group who had normal BMI (P = 0.009) and overweight BMI (P = 0.028); on the other hand, the result for the control group showing that there were no differences between RMR pre-experiment and post-experiment of normal BMI’s respondents (P = 0.326) and overweight respondents (P = 0.715). The Ambonese banana (Musa acuminata cola) diet increases nitrite oxide (NO) concentration, which has a role in increasing the efficiency of mitochondrial respiration. Efficient mitochondrial respiration causes a decrease in RMR. Keywords: Ambonese banana, resting metabolic rate, young adults