Calculating A Basic Metabolic Rate
I feel the most simple equations to use are the following two formulas:
Harris-Benedict Formula (Revised by Roza and Shizgal in 1984)
METRIC:
Men | BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) – (5.677 x age in years) |
Women | BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) – (4.330 x age in years) |
IMPERIAL:
Men | BMR = 88.362 + (6.251 x weight in lbs) + (12.189 x height in inches) – (5.677 x age in years) |
Women | BMR = 447.593 + (4.203 x weight in lbs) + (7.869 x height in inches) – (4.330 x age in years) |
If you have an idea of your body fat percentage then you’re best using the Katch-McArdle Formula.
Katch-McArdle Formula
Men & Women | BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean mass in kg) |
Men & Women | BMR = 370 + (9.8 x lean mass in lbs) |
Once you have a good idea of your constants you can them add in variables such as exercise, sleep time, eating patterns, and every day activity.
I’ve always just used calculators for this, so it’s neat to see the actual formulas that go into figuring this number out. I always use the Harris Benedict formula for BMR and Activity Level and it’s worked out quite well for me and the people I work with.
Thanks for the post!
-Gabe