Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

Fit people running

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), also called Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is the amount of energy (measured in kilocalories) that your body uses to perform basic physiological functions when you are at rest. This includes things like breathing, circulation, and cell production. RMR represents the minimum energy needed for your body to sustain its vital functions and is an important factor in determining overall energy expenditure and weight management. Calculate your RMR in Imperial units:

$$ \mathit{RMR_{female}} = \left( {10 \times weight_{lbs}} \over {2.205} \right) + \left( 6.25 \times height_{in} \times 2.54 \right) - \left( 5 \times age_{yrs} \right) - 161 $$

$$ \mathit{RMR_{male}} = \left( {10 \times weight_{lbs}} \over {2.205} \right) + \left( 6.25 \times height_{in} \times 2.54 \right) - \left( 5 \times age_{yrs} \right) + 5 $$

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total amount of energy you burn in a day through all activities, including physical activity and the energy required for resting metabolic functions. RMR is a component of TDEE, representing the energy used when your body is at rest, while the other components include the energy burned through physical activity, digestion, and other functions. TDEE is a more comprehensive measure of energy expenditure and is used to determine an individual’s calorie needs for weight maintenance, gain, or loss.









References

Mifflin, Mark D., Sachiko T. St Jeor, Lisa A. Hill, Barbara J. Scott, Sandra A. Daugherty, and Young O. Koh. “A New Predictive Equation for Resting Energy Expenditure in Healthy Individuals.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51, no. 2 (February 1990): 241–47. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241.

“Revised World Health Organization Equations for Estimating Energy Expenditure,” UpToDate, accessed August 4, 2023, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/image?imageKey=ENDO%2F63308.