BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep your organs functioning, blood pumping, lungs breathing, and cells working. It represents 60-75% of your total daily calorie burn. BMR does not include calories from physical activity, digestion, or daily movement. It is the absolute minimum energy your body needs to survive.

What is the BMR formula?

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (most accurate for general population): Men: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5. Women: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) - 161. Example for a 30-year-old woman, 165 cm, 65 kg: BMR = (10 x 65) + (6.25 x 165) - (5 x 30) - 161 = 650 + 1031 - 150 - 161 = 1,370 calories/day.

What is a normal BMR for a woman?

Average BMR for adult women ranges from 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day, depending on age, height, and weight. Typical values: age 25, 140 lbs, 5'5" = ~1,400 cal. Age 35, 155 lbs, 5'4" = ~1,420 cal. Age 45, 160 lbs, 5'4" = ~1,370 cal. BMR decreases with age (about 50 calories per decade after age 20) because muscle mass naturally declines.

What is a normal BMR for a man?

Average BMR for adult men ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 calories per day. Typical values: age 25, 175 lbs, 5'10" = ~1,800 cal. Age 35, 185 lbs, 5'10" = ~1,780 cal. Age 45, 190 lbs, 5'10" = ~1,730 cal. Men generally have higher BMR than women due to greater muscle mass and larger body size.

How is BMR different from TDEE?

BMR is calories burned at complete rest. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR plus all activity — walking, working, exercising, even digesting food. TDEE = BMR x Activity Multiplier (1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for very active). TDEE is the number you use for diet planning. BMR is the biological baseline that TDEE builds upon.

Can I increase my BMR?

Yes, primarily through building muscle mass. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue — approximately 6 calories per pound of muscle per day vs 2 calories per pound of fat. Gaining 10 lbs of muscle increases BMR by about 40-50 calories per day. Resistance training is the most effective way to increase BMR long-term. Crash dieting decreases BMR through metabolic adaptation.

BMR Calculator for Women & Men — Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate by Age, Height & Weight

Last updated: April 20267 min readCalculator Tools

Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep you alive. For most adults, BMR is 1,200-1,800 (women) or 1,500-2,000 (men). Enter your age, sex, height, and weight to calculate yours using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — the most accurate equation validated by research.

BMR Reference Tables

Women (Mifflin-St Jeor)

Age	120 lbs / 5'2"	140 lbs / 5'4"	160 lbs / 5'6"	180 lbs / 5'8"
20	1,295	1,407	1,519	1,632
25	1,270	1,382	1,494	1,607
30	1,245	1,357	1,469	1,582
35	1,220	1,332	1,444	1,557
40	1,195	1,307	1,419	1,532
45	1,170	1,282	1,394	1,507
50	1,145	1,257	1,369	1,482

Men (Mifflin-St Jeor)

Age	150 lbs / 5'8"	170 lbs / 5'10"	190 lbs / 6'0"	210 lbs / 6'2"
20	1,662	1,789	1,916	2,043
25	1,637	1,764	1,891	2,018
30	1,612	1,739	1,866	1,993
35	1,587	1,714	1,841	1,968
40	1,562	1,689	1,816	1,943
45	1,537	1,664	1,791	1,918
50	1,512	1,639	1,766	1,893

From BMR to Your Daily Calorie Target

BMR alone is not useful for diet planning — you also move, walk, work, and exercise. Multiply BMR by your activity level to get TDEE:

Activity Level	Multiplier	BMR of 1,400 Becomes	BMR of 1,700 Becomes
Sedentary (desk job, no exercise)	x 1.2	1,680 cal/day	2,040 cal/day
Lightly active (exercise 1-3x/week)	x 1.375	1,925 cal/day	2,338 cal/day
Moderately active (exercise 3-5x/week)	x 1.55	2,170 cal/day	2,635 cal/day
Very active (exercise 6-7x/week)	x 1.725	2,415 cal/day	2,933 cal/day
Extremely active (athlete + physical job)	x 1.9	2,660 cal/day	3,230 cal/day

What Affects BMR

Muscle mass (biggest factor): More muscle = higher BMR. Each pound of muscle burns ~6 calories/day at rest vs ~2 for fat.
Age: BMR decreases ~2-3% per decade after age 20, primarily due to muscle loss (which is preventable with resistance training).
Sex: Men average 5-10% higher BMR than women of the same height/weight due to naturally higher muscle mass.
Height/Weight: Larger bodies have higher BMR — more tissue to maintain.
Genetics: Individual variation of 5-10% exists between people of identical age, sex, height, and weight.
Dieting history: Prolonged calorie restriction can reduce BMR through metabolic adaptation (your body becomes more efficient to conserve energy).

Pair These Tools Together

Calorie Calculator — calculate TDEE from your BMR
BMI Calculator — check body mass index
Body Fat Calculator — estimate body composition
Unit Converter — convert lbs/kg, inches/cm
Percentage Calculator — calculate macro percentages

Honest Limitations

BMR formulas estimate your metabolic rate from height, weight, age, and sex. They do not account for individual genetic variation, body composition (muscle vs fat ratio), hormonal factors (thyroid function, medications), or metabolic adaptation from dieting. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is accurate to within 10% for most people. For precise BMR measurement, indirect calorimetry (breathing test at a clinic) provides individual accuracy. For practical purposes, the formula gives a solid starting point — adjust based on real-world results.

Calculate your BMR right now — see how many calories your body burns at rest.

Open BMR Calculator

BMR Calculator for Women & Men — Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate by Age, Height & Weight

BMR Reference Tables

Women (Mifflin-St Jeor)

Men (Mifflin-St Jeor)

From BMR to Your Daily Calorie Target

What Affects BMR

Pair These Tools Together

Honest Limitations

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