If you’re looking to better understand your body’s basic energy needs, basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a great place to start. Using science-backed calculation methods, BMR estimates the amount of energy (or number of calories) your body burns over a 24-hour period while at rest.
You can get an accurate estimate of your BMR by using the Forbes Health BMR Calculator, which was created under the guidance of Forbes Health Advisory Board members. Simply select the gender that most closely matches your hormonal makeup and enter your age, height and weight to see an estimate of the minimum number of calories your body burns daily.
BMR Calculator Methodology
The Forbes Health BMR Calculator estimates the number of calories your body burns in a single day from its resting state based on your gender, age, height and weight. It utilizes the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to provide these calculations, as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests it’s the most accurate method for estimating basal metabolic activity.
What Is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an estimate of the amount of energy (or the number of calories) your body burns over a 24-hour period while at rest. For your body to be truly “at rest,” your digestive system must be inactive, which typically requires a 12-hour fasting period, and your external environment needs to be a neutral temperature.
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While it’s rare for your body to remain in a true resting state for a full 24-hour period, BMR can serve as a helpful baseline for those curious to know the minimum amount of energy their body requires to function each day.
What Is a Normal BMR Range?
“Normal” is neither an accurate nor helpful classification of a person’s BMR, as the rate is dependent on their specific combination of four unique factors—gender, age, height and weight. By using the BMR calculator above, you can determine the typical baseline energy expenditure of a person with your same gender, age, height and weight. Then, for a more accurate perception of your daily caloric burn, apply the most appropriate activity multiplier for your lifestyle provided in our calorie calculator tool.
Keep in mind that calculating BMR in this manner is, at best, an estimation based on an average person’s rate. As mentioned above, there are many confounding factors that may affect an individual’s BMR. With that said, the BMR estimation is a place to start when you’re curious about your body’s energy needs. This information can be helpful to ensure that you’re consuming enough calories to fuel your body’s basic metabolic functions.
Why Does BMR Matter?
Knowing your basal metabolic rate is most helpful if you’re focused on gaining weight, losing weight or maintaining your current weight. By understanding how much your body burns at rest, you can determine how much of those energy needs are met by your daily diet and make adjustments to help you reach your specific health goals.
Once you know your BMR, you can also use predetermined activity multipliers, such as in our calorie calculator tool, to estimate the true number of calories you burn daily based on your baseline needs and usual amount of movement. By consuming more calories than this energy output with your diet, you’re likely to gain weight over time. By consuming fewer calories than this daily energy output, you’re likely to lose weight. And by matching this energy output, you can expect to maintain your current weight.
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Generally, energy represented by your BMR accounts for about 70% of your daily calorie burn, as it maintains the function of important organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, brain, skin and more. Physical activity and nutritional factors like food digestion are responsible for the remainder of calories burned in a given day.
Factors That Affect BMR
Outside of controlled laboratory conditions, BMR isn’t an exact science. In fact, there’s a handful of variables that can affect the accuracy of a person’s BMR calculation, including:
- Age. The older you are, the lower your BMR tends to be.
- Muscle mass. Muscle requires more energy for maintenance than fat, so people with higher percentages of muscle mass can have higher BMRs.
- Diet. People who usually eat multiple small meals throughout the day tend to have a higher BMR than those who eat less frequent, larger meals. It’s also important to note that eating too little over a prolonged period of time can reduce BMR significantly, as it triggers the body’s instinct to store more energy rather than utilize it because the body anticipates a limited availability of incoming energy.
- Supplementation. Someone who uses certain drugs and supplements that act as stimulants, such as caffeine, can have a higher BMR than someone who doesn’t use these substances.
- Pregnancy. Supporting the life of a growing fetus is directly related to a higher BMR, which is why pregnant people often need to eat more than they did prior to pregnancy.
- Weather. When navigating extreme cool temperatures for a prolonged period of time, the body has to work harder to maintain its core temperature, which requires more energy, elevating your BMR.
How to Calculate Your BMR
There are a number of scientific equations used by researchers to calculate a person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). However, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is used in our calculator tool above, is considered to provide the most accurate estimate.
Should you choose to calculate your BMR manually, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation reads as follows:
For men: (10 × weight in kilograms) + (6.25 × height in centimeters) – (5 × age in years) + 5
For women: (10 × weight in kilograms) + (6.25 × height in centimeters) – (5 × age in years) – 161
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How to Increase Basal Metabolic Rate
A number of lifestyle modifications can help improve metabolism (or basal metabolic rate), particularly as it relates to maintaining a healthy weight and body composition. While exact results vary from one individual to another, experts recommend the following to promote a healthy metabolism:
- Eating a balanced diet of high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, prioritizing your protein consumption
- Consuming enough calories throughout the day to at least maintain your current BMR (calorie restriction ultimately slows metabolism)
- Drinking plenty of water daily
- Safely consuming natural stimulants like caffeine and capsaicin
- Increasing your total lean body mass
- Including interval training in your exercise regimen
- Prioritizing high-quality sleep each night
BMR vs RMR: What's the Difference?
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) are terms that are often used interchangeably and are quite similar. However, BMR is a slightly more accurate statistic than RMR when measured in laboratory settings.
Clinical BMR measurements are taken in a controlled environment after a person has both rested and fasted to the point that their sympathetic nervous system is not activated. The person also remains in a reclined position during the measurement. Meanwhile, RMR measurements don’t require such strict conditions, nor does their accuracy rely on the person sleeping in the test facility prior to measurement.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a good BMR for my age?
A “good” BMR for your age depends on more than years alone—gender, height and weight also play a factor. What’s more, research suggests that every 10 years, an adult’s BMR decreases by 1% to 2% due to skeletal muscle loss. It’s safe to say that if you maintain a healthy weight by following healthy lifestyle recommendations, you can maintain a healthy BMR for your age.
What is the most accurate BMR calculator?
There are multiple formulas commonly used to calculate BMR, including (but not limited to) the revised Harris-Benedict equation, the Katch-McArdle equation and the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Today, experts consider the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to be the most accurate, which is why we use it in our calculator tool above.
Should I eat my BMR to lose weight?
Since BMR represents the amount of energy your body needs to maintain its vital functions on a daily basis, it’s not advised to consume less than your BMR regularly. Just like with any extreme calorie-restricted diet, your body will respond instinctively by storing more energy than utilizing it because it anticipates a limited influx of new energy. Instead, consider these 15 expert-backed tips for safe and sustainable weight loss.
What is basal metabolic rate used for?
Basal metabolic rate is used to help a person and their health care provider(s) understand how much energy (or how many calories) their body requires to maintain its life-sustaining functions on a daily basis. With this information in hand, individuals can gain a better understanding of their body’s basic energy needs, and experts can begin to design a variety of health interventions, such as dietary or exercise plans tailored to that person’s wellness goals, in a safe, effective and sustainable way.
Is it better to have a high or low BMR?
It’s neither better nor worse to have a high or low BMR—the measurement is simply proportional to a person’s fat-free mass, and it isn’t always indicative of optimal health. For example, a person with obesity is likely to have a higher BMR than a person without obesity because they require more energy to perform weight-bearing activities like walking and standing. Meanwhile, a lean person with a lot of muscle mass is also likely to have a higher BMR than a lean person without a lot of muscle mass for similar reasons. Ideal BMR is dependent on the individual, their health status and their specific wellness goals.
Should my BMR go down as I lose weight?
In short, it depends on the strategies used to lose weight. Many people who lose weight due to calorie restriction alone ultimately reduce their body’s energy expenditure (and BMR) due to how the metabolism adapts to such restriction. However, a person who loses body fat mass while increasing muscle mass may lose weight at a slower rate but likely increases their BMR as their body composition shifts.
