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When it comes to getting healthier or hitting your fitness goals, understanding your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is a great place to start. Your BMR is basically the number of calories your body burns just to keep you alive—things like breathing, circulating blood, and repairing cells—even when you're doing absolutely nothing.
Think of it as your body's daily energy budget—before you even factor in workouts, steps, or any activity at all.
What Is BMR?
BMR refers to the amount of energy (calories) your body requires to perform essential functions while completely at rest. It's the minimum energy your body needs to survive without any physical activity.
This baseline calorie expenditure is often calculated using a basal metabolic rate calculator, helping you decide how to eat or train depending on your health goals. Whether you're asking “what is my BMR?” or wondering how to calculate basal metabolic rate, the answer starts here.
Energy Breakdown: Where Your Calories Go
BMR calculator for women or men helps clarify how many of your daily calories are used just for resting processes versus physical activity or digestion. It’s a great starting point before diving into more advanced tools like a TDEE calculator or carbohydrate calculator for nutritional insights.
Try out Carbohydrate Calculator to know about your condition
How to Calculate BMR
There are several recognized methods for calculating BMR. All of them use core personal metrics like age, weight, height, and gender. Here are the most widely used equations:
Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation
One of the most reliable and commonly used BMR equations today.
- For Men:
BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5 - For Women:
BMR = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161
(W = weight in kg, H = height in cm, A = age)
💡 Tip: Pair your BMR result with our BMI Calculator to get a better picture of your overall health.
You can also use a BMR calculator kg version if you're working with metric units or looking to calculate BMR more precisely.
Revised Harris-Benedict Equation
An older yet still widely used method.
- For Men:
BMR = 13.397W + 4.799H - 5.677A + 88.362 - For Women:
BMR = 9.247W + 3.098H - 4.330A + 447.593
This formula is often built into advanced basal energy calculators that adjust results based on lifestyle and activity level.
Katch-McArdle Formula
Best suited if you know your body fat percentage. This method uses lean mass for greater accuracy.
BMR = 370 + 21.6(1 - F)W
(F = body fat percentage as a decimal)
Athletes and those tracking their fitness closely often prefer this when customizing plans with a metabolism calculator.
BMR vs. RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)
Though often used interchangeably, BMR and RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) are slightly different. BMR is measured under strict conditions—no eating, no movement, just complete rest. RMR, on the other hand, is more practical for everyday use and typically a bit higher since it includes minimal activity like sitting or digesting food.
Online tools like a BMR calculator, resting metabolism estimator, or RMR calculator can provide quick estimates depending on how detailed your data is.
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