Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Calculator
Calories your body burns at complete rest. Free, private and instant.
How to use the BMR Calculator
- Pick metric (cm, kg) or imperial (ft, in, lb) units.
- Choose sex: Male or Female.
- Enter age.
- Enter height.
- Enter weight.
- Enter body fat % (optional) - optional.
- Press Calculate to get an instant result with a colour scale, chart and plain-English explanation.
About the BMR Calculator
Your basal metabolic rate is the energy your body needs at complete rest to keep you alive: breathing, circulation and cell repair. It is the base of every calorie plan.
Also known as: basal metabolic rate calculator, Mifflin-St Jeor calculator, Harris-Benedict calculator, resting metabolic rate calculator, RMR calculator.
Worked example
- Sex: Male
- Age: 30 years
- Height: 170 cm
- Weight: 70 kg
Basal metabolic rate: 1,618 kcal/day (Calories at complete rest). Your body burns about 1,618 kcal per day at rest. Your daily needs are higher once activity is added (see the TDEE calculator).
- Mifflin-St Jeor: 1,618 kcal
- Harris-Benedict (revised): 1,672 kcal
- Per hour: 67 kcal
- Per week: 11,323 kcal
Formula and cut-offs
Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 W + 6.25 H - 5 age + 5 (men) or - 161 (women). Revised Harris-Benedict (men): 88.362 + 13.397 W + 4.799 H - 5.677 age; (women): 447.593 + 9.247 W + 3.098 H - 4.33 age. Katch-McArdle: 370 + 21.6 x lean mass (kg).
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal BMR?
Most adult BMRs fall between about 1,200 and 2,200 kcal per day depending on size, age, sex and muscle mass.
Which BMR formula is most accurate?
Mifflin-St Jeor is generally the most accurate for the general population. Katch-McArdle is better if you know your body fat percentage.
How many calories do I burn at rest?
Your BMR is roughly the calories you burn at complete rest in a day. Many adults fall between about 1,200 and 2,000 kcal, depending mostly on body size, age and sex.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR covers only the energy you use at rest. TDEE adds the energy you use moving, exercising and digesting food, so it is BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Use TDEE to plan how much to eat.
What is the basal metabolic rate for a 30-year-old man, 170 cm and 70 kg?
Basal metabolic rate: 1,618 kcal/day (Calories at complete rest). Your body burns about 1,618 kcal per day at rest. Your daily needs are higher once activity is added (see the TDEE calculator). Enter your own numbers above for a personal result.
Sources and references
- World Health Organization - Healthy diet fact sheet
- World Health Organization - Obesity and overweight fact sheet
Written and checked by the MediHub editorial team against the sources above. Read how we build and review our calculators.
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Last updated . This calculator is for education only and is not medical advice. See the medical disclaimer.