BMR Calculator

What is the basic metabolism?

Basal metabolic rate refers to the minimum or basic amount of energy the body uses at rest in order to survive. It does not include the additional energy used for wakefulness or the slightest activity. The body uses energy even at rest; the chemical reactions in the body never stand still. For example

• Breathing
• Blood circulation
• Digestion of food
• Cell synthesis and repair of damaged cells
• Regulation of hormone levels
• Regulation of body temperature

All activities, such as the basal metabolic rate, are constantly ongoing. The basal metabolic rate is the energy used by the body to carry out these vital activities. The energy used for the basal metabolic rate accounts for almost 60-80% of the energy the body needs to consume every day. The basal metabolic rate is very important in determining the amount of calories you should consume each day. The energy the body needs to maintain vital activities must be provided by nutrients. Otherwise, it becomes difficult for the cells to fulfil their tasks in a healthy way and many body systems, from the immune system to the reproductive system, from the circulatory system to the nervous system, cannot function properly

What is the basal metabolic rate?

The amount of calories the body needs to fulfil its basic functions such as breathing, circulation, electron transfer and cell regeneration is the basal metabolic rate. The higher this amount, the higher the basal metabolic rate. Under laboratory conditions, it is measured under very restrictive conditions without any exercise. The following factors influence the basal metabolic rate:

• The proportion of muscle in the body is an important factor that increases the basal metabolic rate. People with a high muscle percentage also consume more calories at rest.
• Another factor that influences the basal metabolic rate is gender. Men have less fat and a higher muscle mass than women of the same age and weight. This means that men have a higher basal metabolic rate.
• Another factor that has a significant impact on the basal metabolic rate is age. With increasing age, a decrease in muscle mass is observed in the body. When muscle mass decreases, the basal metabolic rate slows down and daily calorie consumption decreases.

In addition, factors such as genetic structure, body weight, height, diet and exercise status influence the basal metabolic rate. In addition, thyroid dysfunction, hypo- or hyperfunction of the pituitary gland and adrenal glands can cause an increase or decrease in the basal metabolic rate. Some medications and hormones can also affect the basal metabolic rate. The pituitary gland and adrenal glands influence the basal metabolic rate. Underactivity of these glands lowers the basal metabolic rate, while overactivity increases it. High fever, pregnancy, cancer and heart disease increase the basal metabolic rate, while obesity, anorexia, kidney failure, the use of tranquillisers and Cushing's syndrome slow down the basal metabolic rate.

How do you calculate the basal metabolic rate?

By calculating your basal metabolic rate, you can determine the amount of calories you need to consume each day. If you want to maintain a healthy weight or keep fit, you first need to find out how many calories your basal metabolic rate is and then calculate your daily calorie needs based on your lifestyle. If you take in fewer or more calories than you consume, you can achieve a calorie deficit or a calorie surplus and reach your ideal weight. One of the most commonly used methods for calculating basal metabolic rate is the "Harris-Benedict formula". According to the Harris-Benedict formula;

• Basal metabolic rate of an adult male = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years)
• Basal metabolic rate of an adult woman = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)

To give an example;

• The basal metabolic rate of a 30-year-old woman with a height of 160 cm and a weight of 55 kg = 447,593 + (9,247 x 55) + (3,098 x 160) - (4,330 x 30) is 1321,958 calories.
• The basal metabolic rate of a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 85 kg = 88,362 + (13,397 x 85) + (4,799 x 180) - (5,677 x 30) i.e. 1920 calories.

After calculating your basal metabolic rate, you need to determine the energy you consume during daily activities depending on your lifestyle in order to calculate your daily calorie requirement. According to this

• If your daily activity is limited and you lead a sedentary life; if you move little or not at all, you can determine the daily energy requirement by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by the coefficient of daily activity of 1.2. We can use the above examples of basal metabolic rate as an example;

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old woman with a sedentary lifestyle, a height of 160 cm and a weight of 55 kg is 1321.958 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.2 = 1586.4 calories.

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old man with a sedentary lifestyle, 180 cm tall and weighing 85 kg = 1920 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.2 = 2304 calories.

• If you do light exercise such as walking or swimming a few days a week, you can calculate your daily energy requirement by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by the daily activity coefficient of 1.375. As an example, we can use the examples of basal metabolic rate calculated above;

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old woman, 160 cm tall and weighing 55 kg, with a slightly active lifestyle is 1321.958 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.375 = 1817 calories.

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 85 kg with a slightly active lifestyle = 1920 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.375 = 2640 calories.

• If you exercise moderately 3 to 5 days a week, e.g. running or cycling, you can calculate your daily energy requirement by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by the activity coefficient of 1.55. We can use the basal metabolic rate calculated above as an example;

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old woman with a height of 160 cm and a weight of 55 kg and a moderately active lifestyle is 1321.958 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.55 = 2049 calories.

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 85 kg with a moderately active lifestyle is 1920 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.55 = 2976 calories.

• If you follow a demanding training programme such as weightlifting and endurance training 6-7 days a week, you can calculate your daily energy requirement by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by the activity coefficient 1.725. We can use the examples of basal metabolic rate calculated above as an example;

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old woman, 160 cm tall and weighing 55 kg, with an active lifestyle is 1321.958 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.725 = 2280 calories.

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 85 kg and an active lifestyle is 1920 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.725 = 3312 calories.

• If you do high-intensity weightlifting exercises and HITT workouts every day of the week or have a job that requires heavy physical activity, you can calculate your daily energy needs by multiplying the basal metabolic rate by an activity coefficient of 1.9. As an example, we can use the basal metabolic rate examples calculated above;

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old woman with a height of 160 cm and a weight of 55 kg and a particularly active lifestyle is 1321.958 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.725 = 2511 calories.

The daily energy requirement of a 30-year-old man with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 85 kg and a particularly active lifestyle is = 1920 (basal metabolic rate) x 1.725 = 3648 calories.

You can visit our page for calculating your ideal weight.

What is the ideal basal metabolic rate?

The ideal basal metabolic rate depends on the ideal weight a person should have. To calculate the ideal basal metabolic rate, you first need to know your ideal weight. Every person has a different physique. Therefore, factors such as age, gender, height and bone structure play an important role in determining your ideal weight. The "body mass index" method is usually used to calculate the ideal weight. This involves dividing the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres and evaluating the resulting value according to the following numerical ranges. The value obtained is accordingly;

• If it is below 18.5, the person is underweight,
• The ideal weight is between 18.5 and 24.9,
• The person is overweight between 25 and 29.9,
• If it is over 30, it is considered obese.

For example, the body mass index of a person with a height of 1.60 and a weight of 60 kilograms = 60/1.6×1.6, i.e. 23.43. Accordingly, we can say that the person has the ideal weight. If we calculate the ideal basal metabolic rate of a person using the same example, we must first determine the range of the ideal weight;

• The ideal weight of a 30-year-old person with a height of 1.60 is between 47.36 kg and 63.744 kg according to the body mass index range. The ideal basal metabolic rate for this person is calculated using the Harris-Benedict formula. In general, the ideal basal metabolic rate of an adult woman is around 1000-1400 calories and that of a man around 1200-1600 calories.

How can you accelerate your basal metabolic rate?

Increasing your basal metabolic rate helps you to maintain your ideal weight by increasing your daily calorie consumption. It is possible to increase your basal metabolic rate with a few small changes in your lifestyle. Here are tips to help you increase your basal metabolic rate:

• Additional calories are consumed for the digestion, absorption and processing of food for use by the body. This effect of food on metabolism is known as the thermic effect. You can increase your basal metabolic rate by including foods with a high thermic effect in your diet, i.e. foods that speed up your metabolism. Foods with a high protein content such as meat, chicken, fish, pulses, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt have a high thermic effect. At the same time, these foods take a long time to be digested and create a long-lasting feeling of satiety. In addition, drinking herbal teas such as green tea and oolong tea without sugar in between meals speeds up the metabolism and can also increase fat burning.
• You can add hot peppers to your meals, which contain capsaicin, which has the ability to speed up the metabolism. In addition, spices such as black pepper, red pepper, ginger and turmeric can also boost the metabolism.
• Another important factor in speeding up the metabolism is increasing water consumption. Water, especially half an hour before meals, not only makes you feel full, but can also help to speed up your metabolism by facilitating digestion.
• Regular exercise plays an important role in maintaining the overall health of the body. By incorporating high-intensity exercise (HIIT) into your training programme, you can speed up your metabolism and increase fat burning. When muscle mass increases, the basal metabolic rate also increases. By increasing muscle mass, you can ensure that your body burns many more calories even at rest. You can add strength exercises that build muscle to your training programme.
• In order to synthesise new cells and repair damaged cells, the body must be put into a complete resting state. Complete recovery of the body only takes place during sleep. Insufficient sleep can lead to disturbances in the function of body systems and hormones that play an important role in regulating the basal metabolic rate. Lack of sleep can lead to a slowing of the basal metabolic rate. You can increase your basal metabolic rate by getting adequate and quality sleep.