Guide to BMR
What is BMR?
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum amount of energy your body needs to maintain basic vital functions at rest. This includes heart work, breathing, body temperature maintenance, cell functioning, and all other processes essential for survival. BMR typically accounts for 60-75% of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
Factors affecting BMR
- Sex - men typically have higher BMR due to greater muscle mass
- Weight - larger body mass requires more energy to maintain
- Height - taller people have larger body surface area and higher needs
- Age - after 20, BMR decreases by about 2% per decade
- Muscle tissue - muscle burns more calories than fat even at rest
- Genetics - individual differences in metabolic efficiency
Using BMR
BMR is the starting point for calculating total calorie needs. Multiplying BMR by activity factor (1.2-1.9) gives you TDEE. Knowing TDEE allows planning weight loss (300-500 calorie deficit) or muscle gain (200-300 calorie surplus). BMR is especially useful for people who want precise diet control.
Increasing BMR
While BMR is largely genetically determined, it can be increased through building muscle mass (strength training), maintaining adequate physical activity, consuming enough protein (1.6-2.2 g/kg body weight), proper sleep (7-9 hours), and avoiding extreme diets and starvation that slow metabolism.