In particular, the researchers looked at the participants' resting metabolic rates: the calories their bodies burned at rest.

研究人员尤其关注选手的静息代谢率，也就是他们在休息时身体会消耗多少卡路里。

They tested the men's fitness and resting metabolic rates and took samples of their blood and fat tissue.

他们测试了这些人的健康状况和静息代谢率， 并采集了他们的血液和脂肪组织样本。

The phenomenon the study is discussing is called " metabolic adaptation, " which is where resting metabolic rate dramatically slows down in response to weight loss.

这项研究讨论的现象被称为“代谢适应”，即静息代谢率因体重减轻而急剧减慢。

After the 30 week contest, the 14 participants lost an average of about 58 kilograms, and their resting metabolic rates dropped by about 610 calories per day.

经过三十周的比拼后，这14位选手平均减掉了约58千克，他们的静息代谢率每天下降610卡路里。