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Basal Metabolism Calculation (BMR)
The minimum energy your body consumes at complete rest, without any activity. The starting point for calibrating your nutrition.
What is basal metabolism?
The basal metabolism (BMR for Basal Metabolic Rate, or MB in French) represents the minimum energy that your body consumes at complete rest to maintain its vital functions: breathing, blood circulation, thermal regulation, cellular activity. This is approximately 60–75% of your total daily energy expenditure.
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula
Several equations exist (Harris-Benedict, Katch-McArdle, Cunningham). We use Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), the most precise for the general population according to recent meta-analyses:
- Men: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) + 5
- Women: BMR = (10 × weight kg) + (6.25 × height cm) − (5 × age) − 161
BMR or TDEE: which one to use?
BMR is your energy at absolute rest. To plan your meals, it is the TDEE that counts: it includes your daily activity (work, travel, sport). In general: TDEE = BMR × 1.2 to 1.9 depending on your activity level.
Limits of the estimate
Mifflin-St Jeor gives an estimate to within ±10%. The differences come from your body composition (a muscular body burns more than a fat body for the same weight), your genetics and your hormonal state. For an exact measurement, only indirect laboratory calorimetry is reliable.
Questions fréquentes
The REE (Resting Energy Expenditure) is slightly higher than the BMR (+ 10%) because measured under slightly less strict conditions. In current practice, the two are considered equivalent.
Yes. It declines by about 1–2% per decade after age 30, mainly because muscle mass decreases. Maintaining muscle strengthening activity slows this decline.
If you have little muscle mass, a BMR around 1200-1400 kcal for an adult woman is normal. To increase it, you must develop lean mass through bodybuilding.
Within 1-2% yes. It varies slightly depending on your hormonal state, your sleep, your stress and the ambient temperature.