How many calories do you burn at rest?
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the calories your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive, usually around 1,400 to 1,800 a day for adults. It does not include exercise or daily movement, that is your TDEE. We calculate it three ways, Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle, so you can compare and send your result straight to the TDEE Calculator.
Use Average if you are non-binary or want a gender-neutral estimate.
BMR drops about 1 to 2% per decade after 30.
BMR formula
Three scientific equations. We compare all 3 in the result panel.
History stays in this browser only. Up to 8 entries.
Calories your body burns at complete rest. No movement, no digestion, no exercise.
All 3 formulas
- Mifflin-St Jeor1990selected1,737
- Harris-Benedict19841,804
- Katch-McArdle1981Enter body fat %
What this means in food
Your 1,737 cal BMR equals:
- 10.5 chicken breasts100 g servings, skinless, cooked
- 16.5 sweet potatoesmedium, baked, plain
- 12.0 scoops of ice creamvanilla, half-cup servings
- 3.2 Big Macs540 cal each (McDonald's)
- 6.4 Starbucks lattesgrande, 2% milk
Without exercise
A sedentary day (BMR x 1.2) is roughly 2,084 cal. That is your maintenance with desk work and no formal exercise.
BMR alone is not your maintenance number. Use the Add activity step below to get a real TDEE.
Add activity, get TDEE
Multiply BMR by an activity factor to get your full daily calorie target.
Macro split for your BMR
Once you have a daily calorie target, split it into protein, carbs, and fats.
Open macro calculatorSide-by-side, the math behind each number.
The three equations agree within 67 to 150 calories for most people. Pick the one that fits your profile.
BMR snapshots
Up to 8 entries stored in this browser only. Track BMR drift as you build muscle, age, or recover from dieting.
Save your first BMR snapshot to see it here
Enter body data above and click Save this BMR.
Three steps to your resting calories.
Pick gender, enter body data, pick a formula. The calculator runs all 3 in the background and shows the spread.
Pick gender and units
Gender drives the biggest single change in BMR math (around 200 to 350 cal between men and women at the same weight). Imperial uses lb and ft/in. Metric uses kg and cm. Switching units converts your existing values.
Enter body data
Type age, height, and weight. The calculator updates in real time as you type. No need to press a calculate button. Body fat percentage is optional and only used by Katch-McArdle.
Read your BMR and TDEE
Big number is your selected formula. Side panel shows all 3 so you can see the spread. Click Add activity to ship your BMR to the TDEE Calculator for daily calorie targets including exercise.
What is BMR, exactly?
Basal Metabolic Rate is the calories your body needs to stay alive at complete rest. It powers your brain, liver, kidneys, heart, and every cell process. It accounts for 60 to 75% of your total daily calorie burn.
Calories burned at complete rest
BMR is what you would burn lying flat in a thermoneutral room after 12 hours without food, in a fasted state. No movement, no digestion, no thinking hard. So BMR does not include exercise: the calories you torch on a run or in the gym sit on top of it inside your TDEE. About 60 to 75% of total daily calories for sedentary adults. Higher portion for the elderly. Lower portion for very active people.
Where the calories go
Roughly 70% of BMR powers organs that work nonstop. Brain alone burns 20% (about 350 cal/day). Liver burns 21%. Heart 9%. Kidneys 8%. Skeletal muscle at rest burns 22% in average adults. Bone, skin, gut, and other tissues make up the rest.
Five things change your BMR
Body composition (more muscle = more BMR). Age (this age-related metabolic decline drops BMR about 1 to 2% per decade after 30). Sex hormones (testosterone raises it, estrogen lowers it slightly). Thyroid hormone (T3, T4 are the main regulators). Genetics (40 to 50% of variance, twin studies).
Small but real difference
BMR is measured in a lab after 12 hours fasted, in a thermoneutral room, after a night of rest. RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is measured under less strict conditions and runs about 10% higher than BMR. Most calculators (including this one) technically predict RMR. The terms are used interchangeably in consumer health.
How accurate are these formulas?
The short answer: within plus or minus 10% for most people. The honest answer is more nuanced.
Indirect calorimetry
The most accurate way to measure BMR is indirect calorimetry: you breathe into a metabolic cart that measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production over 20 to 30 minutes. This gives a real measurement within 2 to 3% accuracy. It costs 100 to 300 dollars and is available at some sports performance centers and medical clinics.
For most people, this is overkill. Mifflin-St Jeor lands within 10% of the lab measurement for 82% of healthy adults (Frankenfield 2005). The calculator number is good enough as a starting point for diet planning.
Edge cases
- 01Athletes and very lean. Standard formulas underestimate BMR because they assume average body composition. Use Katch-McArdle if you know your body fat percentage.
- 02Very obese (BMI 40+). Mifflin-St Jeor and Harris-Benedict can overestimate BMR by 5 to 10%. Use a body composition measurement and Katch-McArdle.
- 03Post crash dieting. Adaptive thermogenesis can lower BMR 10 to 25% below predicted (Fothergill 2016). Eat at maintenance for 6 to 12 weeks to recover before using the calculator.
- 04Thyroid issues. Hyperthyroidism raises BMR 30 to 50%. Hypothyroidism lowers it 10 to 30%. Confirm thyroid status with a clinician if your BMR seems persistently off.
- 05Pregnant or breastfeeding. BMR rises 15 to 25% in trimesters 2 and 3. Standard formulas do not adjust. Talk to your OB-GYN.
Women's BMR, explained.
Women's BMR averages 5 to 10% lower than men's at the same weight and height, driven mostly by body composition and sex hormones. Here is what changes through life stages.
Twenties: peak BMR
Typical range 1,400 to 1,550 cal/day for a 140 lb, 5'5" woman. Lean mass is near peak. This is the highest BMR most women will see. Pair with strength training to lock in muscle for the decades ahead.
Thirties: slow drift
Typical 1,380 to 1,500 cal/day. The 1 to 2% per decade BMR drop starts after 30 due to muscle loss (sarcopenia) and hormone shifts. Pregnancy can temporarily raise BMR 15 to 25%. Post-partum BMR often takes 6 to 12 months to return to baseline.
Forties: perimenopause begins
Typical 1,350 to 1,450 cal/day. Estrogen starts fluctuating in late 40s, which can accelerate muscle loss and fat gain. Strength training 2 to 3 times per week becomes the single biggest lever to hold BMR steady.
Fifties: menopause and BMR
Typical 1,300 to 1,400 cal/day. Menopause itself drops BMR 100 to 200 cal/day over 2 to 5 years through estrogen decline, sleep disruption, and accelerated muscle loss. Resistance training, adequate protein (1.2 to 1.6 g/kg), and 7 to 9 hours of sleep are the highest-leverage interventions.
Sixties and beyond
Typical 1,250 to 1,350 cal/day. Pontzer 2021 (Science) showed BMR drops about 0.7% per year after 60, faster than the 1 to 2% per decade earlier. Higher protein intake (1.2 to 1.4 g/kg) and continued strength work help preserve lean mass and BMR.
Menstrual cycle and BMR
BMR rises about 2 to 5% in the luteal phase (days 14 to 28) due to progesterone. That is roughly 30 to 75 cal/day for the typical adult. The variance is small enough that most calculators do not account for it, but it explains why women sometimes feel hungrier in the second half of their cycle.
Men's BMR, explained.
Men's BMR is 200 to 350 cal/day higher than women's at the same weight, mostly driven by greater muscle mass (15 to 20% more) and testosterone. The age-related drop matters more than most men realize.
Twenties: peak BMR and testosterone
Typical 1,750 to 1,900 cal/day for a 170 lb, 5'10" man. Testosterone peaks at 18 to 25. Lean mass is near peak. This is the highest BMR most men will see. A college lifter at 180 lb and 12% body fat can easily run a BMR over 1,900.
Thirties: testosterone starts to drift
Typical 1,700 to 1,850 cal/day. Testosterone drops about 1 to 2% per year after 30. Combined with muscle loss, BMR drops 1 to 2% per decade. This is when most men first notice weight gain at their old eating habits.
Forties: visceral fat trade-off
Typical 1,650 to 1,800 cal/day. Visceral fat tends to creep up while muscle creeps down, even at stable scale weight. Body composition shift drops BMR more than the scale suggests. DEXA-confirmed visceral fat tracking and resistance training matter most.
Fifties: andropause and sleep
Typical 1,600 to 1,750 cal/day. Testosterone is now 25 to 35% lower than peak. Sleep apnea risk rises sharply (50% of men over 50 have undiagnosed mild apnea). Poor sleep lowers BMR 5% on its own. Get a sleep study if you snore.
Sixties and beyond
Typical 1,450 to 1,650 cal/day. After 60, BMR drops about 0.7% per year (Pontzer 2021). Frail older men can drop below 1,300 cal/day. Resistance training 2 to 3 times per week, 1.2 g/kg protein, and adequate vitamin D help preserve BMR.
Why men lose BMR with age
The drop is mostly muscle, not metabolism. A typical sedentary man loses 3 to 5 lb of muscle per decade after 30. Each pound of muscle is worth about 6 cal/day at rest. That accounts for roughly 20 to 30 cal of BMR loss per decade from muscle alone. The rest comes from hormonal shifts and the small per-cell metabolic slowdown.
Average BMR by age and gender.
Typical BMR values for representative US adults, calculated via Mifflin-St Jeor. Average heights and weights from CDC NHANES data. If you are wondering what a good BMR for your age is, find your row and compare: the average BMR for a female in her thirties runs near 1,380 cal/day, while a man the same age sits around 1,760. Use the table to spot-check your number against your demographic.
| Age | Gender | BMR (cal/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | male | 1,787 |
| 20 | female | 1,406 |
| 25 | male | 1,762 |
| 25 | female | 1,381 |
| 30 | male | 1,760 |
| 30 | female | 1,379 |
| 40 | male | 1,733 |
| 40 | female | 1,329 |
| 50 | male | 1,683 |
| 50 | female | 1,301 |
| 60 | male | 1,610 |
| 60 | female | 1,251 |
| 70 | male | 1,521 |
| 70 | female | 1,176 |
How to raise your BMR.
Realistic BMR gains over 6 to 12 months are 50 to 200 cal/day. Here are the highest-leverage interventions, ranked.
Build muscle
Each pound of muscle burns about 6 cal/day at rest. Strength training 2 to 3 times per week for a year typically adds 5 to 10 lb of muscle in beginners. The bigger BMR win comes from the daily activity calories around training, not the muscle itself.
Eat enough protein
The thermic effect of food for protein is 20 to 30% of its calories, vs 5 to 10% for carbs and 0 to 3% for fat. Eating 150 g of protein (instead of 80 g) burns an extra 50 to 100 cal/day just in digestion. Aim for 1.2 to 1.6 g protein per kg body weight.
Sleep 7 to 9 hours
Sleep loss (under 6 hours per night for 2 weeks) lowers BMR about 5%, drops insulin sensitivity, and raises hunger hormones. Spaeth 2013 showed shifted thermogenesis and metabolic slowdown in chronic short sleepers.
Strength train 2 to 3x weekly
Resistance training preserves existing muscle, which is the single biggest predictor of BMR after total body weight. Even older adults (60+) can add muscle and BMR with a structured program.
Stay hydrated
Mild dehydration (2 to 3% body water deficit) can lower BMR up to 3%. The reverse effect is small but real: chronic dehydration drags BMR down. Reach your daily water target (use our Water Intake Calculator).
Don't crash diet
Very low calorie diets (under 1,000 to 1,200 cal/day for women, under 1,500 for men) trigger adaptive thermogenesis. Tremblay 1997 documented BMR drops up to 25% after 6 to 12 weeks of severe restriction. Some of this drop persists for years.
Caffeine (modest, temporary)
Caffeine raises metabolic rate 3 to 11% for 3 to 4 hours after a 100 to 400 mg dose. The effect blunts with regular use. Acheson 1980 showed habitual users get smaller boosts than naive users. Net BMR contribution is small.
Cold exposure (small)
Brown fat activation in cold can raise metabolic rate. The effect in adults is modest (less than 100 cal/day) and inconsistent in research. Not a reliable BMR strategy. Ignore unless you genuinely enjoy cold plunges.
Myth: skipping breakfast
Meta-analyses (Levitsky 2018, Sievert 2019) show no significant BMR difference between breakfast eaters and skippers. The breakfast-boosts-metabolism claim is debunked. Eat breakfast if you want to, skip it if you do not. BMR does not care.
Frequently asked questions.
Plain-English answers about BMR, RMR, gender differences, age-related changes, and metabolic health.
Where the numbers come from.
Data sources
Three peer-reviewed BMR equations, validated independently. Reference table calculated via Mifflin-St Jeor at CDC NHANES average heights and weights for each age band.
- 01Mifflin et al., Am J Clin Nutr (1990)
A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals
- 02Roza & Shizgal, Am J Clin Nutr (1984)
The Harris-Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and body cell mass
- 03Katch & McArdle (1981)
Nutrition, Weight Control, and Exercise. The Katch-McArdle lean body mass equation.
- 04Frankenfield et al., J Am Diet Assoc (2005)
Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults
- 05Compher et al., J Am Diet Assoc (2006)
Best practice methods to apply to measurement of resting metabolic rate in adults
- 06Pontzer et al., Science (2021)
Daily energy expenditure through the human life course (large multi-cohort study)
Related guides
Hands-on guides on BMR, TDEE, macros, and the science of cutting and bulking.
Data Sources
BMR estimates use the Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), revised Harris-Benedict (Roza-Shizgal 1984), and Katch-McArdle equations. Demographic comparison rows in the reference table are recomputed directly from Mifflin-St Jeor at the listed weight, height, age, and gender. Results are educational, not medical advice.
- Mifflin MD et al., 1990 (Am J Clin Nutr) — Original Mifflin-St Jeor equation for resting energy expenditure in adults.
- Frankenfield D et al., 2005 (J Am Diet Assoc) — Validation review concluding Mifflin-St Jeor is the most accurate predictive equation for the general adult population.
- Roza AM, Shizgal HM, 1984 (Am J Clin Nutr) — Revised Harris-Benedict equation with updated coefficients.
- Katch FI, McArdle WD (Sports Nutrition) — Katch-McArdle formula based on lean body mass for trained athletes who know body fat percentage.
- Pontzer H et al., 2021 (Science) — Longitudinal data on age-related metabolic rate changes used in our 60+ adjustment.
Other free tools.
The next step after BMR is TDEE, then macros. After that, level up your hydration, caffeine, fasting, and meal-planning game.