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How it is calculated
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the predictive equation found most accurate for healthy adults with and without obesity in the systematic review by Frankenfield et al. (2005):
Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) − 161
For comparison, the result also shows the Harris-Benedict equation as revised by Roza and Shizgal (1984):
Men: 88.362 + 13.397 × kg + 4.799 × cm − 5.677 × ageWomen: 447.593 + 9.247 × kg + 3.098 × cm − 4.330 × age
BMR and TDEE
BMR is the energy needed to keep the body running at complete rest. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) adds everything else: digesting food, daily movement and exercise. TDEE is therefore always higher than BMR, and it is TDEE — not BMR — that serves as the starting point for a calorie target.
Limitations
- Predictive equations estimate an average. In the systematic review by Frankenfield et al., the Mifflin-St Jeor equation came within 10% of measured resting energy expenditure for more people than any other equation tested, but not for everyone: for some individuals the error is larger, in either direction.
- The equations do not account for body composition. People with a lot of muscle tend to have a higher BMR than predicted.
- They were developed in healthy adults. They are not valid for children, pregnancy, breastfeeding, acute illness, thyroid disorders or other conditions that change metabolism.
- Only indirect calorimetry measures resting energy expenditure; this calculator does not replace it.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. Read the source (opens in a new tab)
- Roza AM, Shizgal HM. The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984;40(1):168–182. Read the source (opens in a new tab)
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775–789. Read the source (opens in a new tab)