What does RQ mean? (2024)

Respiratory quotient:

1. RQ stands for respiratory quotient.
2. Respiratory quotient is defined as the ratio between the amount of carbon dioxide produced when the respiratory substrate is respired and the amount of oxygen consumed in a set period of time.
3. Respiratory quotient is also known as the respiratory ratio.
4. RQ is measured using a respirometer.
5. The values of the respiratory quotient are in the range of 0.7 to 1.2 and are influenced by the relative contribution of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.
6. The formula for the respiratory quotient is

$RQ=\frac{amountofcarbondioxideproduced}{amountofoxygenconsumed}perunittime$