What Percentage of Your Calories Are Burned by a Normal Metabolism Every Day?

A significant portion of your daily calorie needs goes toward fueling normal metabolism. This need, called basal metabolic rate, depends on your age, height, weight and gender. Additionally, this number does not reflect how many calories you actually need in a day, as it doesn't take activity into account.

Significance

You burn calories each day based on activity and your body processes. According to Calories Per Hour, your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories you burn in the absence of all activity.

Calculations

The standard method of calculating BMR is the Harris-Benedict equation, which uses weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. To calculate, men use the equation: (13.75 x weight) + (5 x height) - (6.76 x age) + 66 = BMR. Women use: (9.56 x weight ) + (1.85 x height) - (4.68 x age) + 655 = BMR.

Considerations

There are other equations to estimate BMR, including the Muffin equation for resting metabolic rate, and the Katch-McArdle Formula, which includes your lean body mass in the calculations. Each equation represents an estimate of metabolic rate, not an absolute measurement.

References

• Calories Per Hour: Calculating BMR and RMR
• Builid Muscle and Burn Fat: How Many Calories Do I Need?