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BMR Calculator

Check your Basal Metabolic Rate with our free BMR calculator.

  • Created by Olivia Bennett
  • Reviewed by Richard Anderson
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What is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

Basal metabolic rate is the energy expended per day at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which entails that the body must burn fat to get the required energy for the day). The largest component of energy expenditure is the basal metabolic rate.

What is my BMR?

You can think of BMR as a measurement of the number of calories that your body needs to sustain itself. Essentially it is the minimum number of calories required to carry out normal bodily activities such as: breathing, transporting blood around the body, cellular repair and the breakdown of food to nutrients and minerals.

Calculating your BMR is easy thanks to the free online calculator. Enter your weight, heigh and age, and let the calorie calculator perform the calculations for you. You will instantly get the total number of recommended calories that your body needs for core life-sustaining activities.

What is a normal BMR for men?

Men's daily colorie intake is normally higher than the recommended calorie intake for women. A key reason for this is due to muscle mass, larger muscles need more calories to sustain them. The average BMR for men is approximately 1650 calories per day.

A basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended per day at rest. It is the minimum amount of energy needed to sustain vital functions—such as breathing and pumping blood—at rest. The BMR is one of the key components of the body's energy balance, along with physical activity and food intake. The BMR is used to calculate a person's daily caloric requirement. This number is used to plan and track daily calorie intake and to predict weight gain or weight loss.

What is a normal BMR for women?

In general, the female body tends to be smaller in size. On average, women have a lower muscle mass and a more lean figure which means that women need less calories in men. The average BMR for women is around 1400 calories per day.

Basal metabolic rate for women is different from that of men, and different for women of different ages. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) refers to the number of calories a woman needs to consume each day to support the weight she is at right now. Basal metabolic rate is also called resting metabolic rate, and it is measured by a machine called a metabolic cart. The thermic effect of food is the amount of calories a woman needs to consume to process the food she eats. The thermic effect of food is similar to the basal metabolic rate.

How to lose weight without exercise?

Most people know that exercising on a regular basis is one of the basic keys to losing weight. However, some of the most successful weight loss stories come from people who have lost weight without exercising at all. While this may seem impossible, nature offers us the solution to achieve this through a process known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a state in which the body uses fat as its primary source of energy. This happens when the body does not have enough carbohydrates available to use as energy. When the body metabolizes fat for energy, the ketone bodies (water-soluble molecules) are released into the bloodstream. The ketone bodies are what cause the body to go into a state of ketosis.

Using a calorie calculator for weight loss

Another approach to losing weight without exercise can be achieved by understanding your BMR. If you consume less calories than the recommended BMR, you will have a calorie deficit. The alternative is also true, if you want to gain weight then you need to eat more calories than the number returned from the BMR calculator. While the BMR is not considered to be a weight loss calculator, it is useful to calculate calorie deficit and understand the calories being burned while your body is in a resting state.

What is the Harris-Benedict formula?

The harris-benedict formula is an equation to calculate the daily amount of calories our body requires for life-sustaining activities. This minimum daily calorie intake is known as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The formula requires 3 key variables in order to make the calculation: age (years), weight (kg) and height (cm).

The Harris-Benedict formula is the most widely used method of estimating the BMR of a person. It is based on the principle that a person's basal energy expenditure is directly proportional to their total body mass and inversely proportional to his/her basal metabolic rate. The Harris-Benedict formula is a simple method of estimating the basal metabolic rate of a person. The principle states that BMR is directly proportional to total body mass and inversely proportional to square of height. The formula calculates the BMR by multiplying the body mass in kilograms by the appropriate activity factor.

Women: (10 x KG) + (6.25 x CM) - (5 x YEARS) - 161
Men: (10 x KG) + (6.25 x CM) - (5 x YEARS) + 5

How to use a BMR calculator for fitness

How to use a BMR Calculator

Enter your gender, height in centimeters, weight in kilograms and your age in years. The BMR calculator will perform the necessary calculations. You will be presented with a daily calorie amount which is required for your core body activities.

Basal metabolic rate is the total amount of energy required to keep the body alive at rest without any physical activity. Many people are actually unaware of the fact that basal metabolic rate is the minimum amount of energy required to keep the body alive. This is the basic human body function that can be measured with a simple calculation. Many people use basal metabolic rate as a tool to determine their daily calorie requirements. This is usually done by multiplying Basal metabolic rate by a particular activity factor.

What does BMR measure?

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended daily by humans at rest. It is the energy used by the body to perform vital functions such as breathing, circulation, nervous system function, cellular maintenance, digestion, and excretion.

The basal metabolic rate calculator uses a formula that takes into account your gender, weight, height and age. Based on the calculations of the Harris-Benedict formula, the calculator will return a total number of calories that represent your Basal Metabolic Rate.

FAQS

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy (measured in calories) that the body requires to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to sustain vital bodily functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production.

There are several formulas to estimate BMR, with the most common being the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

  • For men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 * weight in kg) + (4.799 * height in cm) - (5.677 * age in years)
  • For women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 * weight in kg) + (3.098 * height in cm) - (4.330 * age in years)

  • Weight: Heavier individuals generally have a higher BMR.
  • Height: Taller individuals tend to have a higher BMR.
  • Age: BMR tends to decrease with age.
  • Gender: Men typically have a higher BMR than women.

Understanding BMR is crucial for determining an individual's daily calorie needs. It helps in creating a balanced diet and exercise plan for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition to BMR, an individual's total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) takes into account their activity level. This includes physical activity, exercise, and other daily movements. TDEE is calculated by multiplying BMR by an activity factor.

Yes, certain factors like regular exercise, increasing muscle mass, and a balanced diet can help increase BMR. However, these changes are generally modest compared to the impact of factors like weight and age.