The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your bodyburns at rest.
Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health
What Is My Basal Metabolic Rate?
“Basal” means the base or the bottom layer.
Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health
“Metabolic” is the body’s process of turning the food eaten into energy it can use.
The BMR is the energy (calories) the body needs to power its basic needs.
The BMR accounts for 60% to 75% of the calories the body burns each day.
What Is Resting Metabolic Rate?
Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is another measurement of daily calories needed.
The difference is that RMR may include some limited activity.
The importance of BMR goes beyond a person’s weight.
BMR may also be related to the development of certain diseases and the risk of death.
Calculating BMR Based on Age
Many calculators are available to estimate a person’s BMR.
Several factors go into calculating BMR, including:
In general, a person’smetabolic ratedecreases as they age.
It’s estimated that BMR in adults may decrease by 1% to 2% every 10 years.
The Harris-Benedict equation is one way to calculate BMR.
This equation has been tested, tweaked, and re-evaluated over the years.
Other calculators are sometimes used as well.
Knowing the average BMR for your sex assigned at birth, age, and weight is worth knowing.
Understanding the average may help in making adjustments to lifestyle and diet when desired.
Even then, there can be inaccuracies.
BMR will change over a person’s lifetime.
Younger people tend to have higher BMRs and calorie needs overall, especially during childhood.
As people get older, their BMR generally lowers.
People assigned male at birth tend to have a higher BMR than those assigned female.
Weight can also affect BMR, with increased weight associated with a higher BMR.
Some of them include changes that also support overall health, such as weight training.
Participating in higher-intensity physical activity will mean that more calories are needed to maintain weight.
Estimating the calories needed every day may help to avoid either unintentionally increasing or losing weight.
A person mustconsume enough caloriesto fulfill their BMR plus any calories burned during daily activity.
One strategy to maintain weight is to eat a high-protein diet.
Other Ways to Support Optimal Metabolism
Metabolism is tied to many factors.
Diet, physical activity, and sleep are all factors that can be modified to tweak a BMR.
BMR is largely determined by non-modifiable factors such as age, sex assigned at birth, and height.
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