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The Regression Formula for
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
It has long been said among medical and nutritional specialists that "The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is
more determined by the Fat Free Mass (FFM) than by the body weight" (Persons of a given body weight
with a higher FFM will have a higher BMR), and that from the aspect of evaluating the body composition,
should be estimated from the FFM. In addition, in cases of simple estimation formulae which can calculate
from the height, weight and age, without evaluating the body composition, there was a problem with
excessively high evaluations being given to obese persons with large body weight, and conversely
excessively small BMR evaluations given to muscular athletes, though these are not as many in number.
Currently, the BMR estimation recursion formula developed by Tanita, the manufacturer of body
composition analyzers, based on their research, works by multiple regressive analysis using this FFM, and
has a higher degree of accuracy in the individual differences in body composition. In order to derive the
BMR, resting respiratory metabolism (Resting Energy Expenditure: REE) was measured using a breath gas
analysis device, and this estimation recursion formula was created based on this data.
<Figure 1> The Relationship Between Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) According to Breath Gas
Analysis and Weight, FFM
(Presented at Nutrition Week, Held in San Diego in 2002)
As shown in Figure 1: the REE (BMR) has a stronger relationship to the FFM than to body weight, and a
difference is visible between males and females in the distribution trends. We see that in principle that we
should calculate from the FFM rather than by the old formula centred on the relationship with weight.
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