Free Metabolism Calculator

Metabolism Calculator — BMR by Age

Find out how fast your metabolism is, how it compares to average for your age, and how it will change over time.

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Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula — the most accurate BMR equation for healthy adults.

Why metabolism slows with age

1

Muscle loss (sarcopenia)

After age 30, adults lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade without resistance training. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this directly reduces BMR.

2

Hormonal changes

Declining levels of testosterone (men) and oestrogen (women) with age reduce anabolic drive, making it harder to maintain muscle mass and metabolic rate.

3

Reduced physical activity

NEAT (non-exercise movement) tends to decrease with age — less spontaneous movement, walking, and fidgeting. This can reduce total daily calorie burn by 200–400 kcal.

4

How to fight back

Resistance training 2–4 times per week, adequate protein intake (1.6–2.2g/kg), staying physically active, and good sleep are the most effective interventions to maintain metabolic rate with age.

How BMR and TDEE are calculated

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990, which is generally considered the most accurate formula available for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at complete rest just to keep vital functions running (breathing, circulation, cell repair). Independent validation studies have found it more accurate than older formulas like Harris-Benedict for most modern populations. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is then calculated by multiplying BMR by an activity multiplier that accounts for exercise and daily movement.

Even the best formulas carry a margin of error of around 10% for the general population, since BMR is also influenced by genetics, muscle mass, thyroid function, and other factors that a simple age/weight/height formula can't capture. Use the result as a starting point: track your actual weight trend against your intake for 2-3 weeks and adjust the number up or down by 100-150 kcal based on real-world results rather than treating the calculator's output as exact.

Frequently asked questions about metabolism

To a modest degree, yes. Building muscle through resistance training is the most reliable lever, since muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. Eating enough protein, staying active throughout the day (not just during workouts), and getting adequate sleep all support a healthy metabolic rate — but claims about specific 'metabolism-boosting foods' dramatically changing your BMR are generally overstated.
Yes, to some extent — this is called adaptive thermogenesis. During a prolonged calorie deficit, the body reduces energy expenditure somewhat beyond what would be expected from weight loss alone, partly as an evolutionary response to perceived scarcity. This is one reason very aggressive, long-term calorie deficits often backfire; a moderate, sustainable deficit tends to preserve metabolic rate better.
No. BMR is only the calories burned at complete rest. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) adds in calories burned through daily activity, exercise, and digesting food (the thermic effect of food) — TDEE is typically 20-80% higher than BMR depending on activity level, and it's the number you should use for calorie planning, not BMR alone.
Yes, conditions like hypothyroidism can measurably lower BMR, and certain medications can affect metabolic rate too. If you consistently feel your actual calorie burn is far below what this calculator estimates despite an accurate activity level, it's worth discussing with a doctor rather than assuming the calculator is simply wrong.

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