BMR Reference for Age 56
Basal metabolic rate at age 56 is not one number — it is a range set by height and weight. This page holds the formula inputs steady at age 56 and sweeps body composition instead: four BMI levels, men at 175 cm and women at 165 cm, each estimated with both Mifflin-St Jeor and Harris-Benedict so the spread between the classic equations is visible at a glance.
Read the BMI-25 row as a worked example: 76.6 kg at age 56 returns 1585 kcal, 5 kcal below the 55-year figure of 1590. Harris-Benedict lands 51 kcal above Mifflin (3.2%), and moving from sedentary to extra active multiplies the same estimate out to 3,012 kcal — a 1,110 kcal swing next to the 310 kcal the age term costs between 18 and 80.
BMR at age 56 by body composition
| BMI | Men (175 cm) | Women (165 cm) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Mifflin | Harris | Weight | Mifflin | Harris | |
| 20 | 61.3 kg | 1432 kcal | 1432 kcal | 54.5 kg | 1135 kcal | 1220 kcal |
| 25 | 76.6 kg | 1585 kcal | 1636 kcal | 68.1 kg | 1271 kcal | 1346 kcal |
| 30 | 91.9 kg | 1738 kcal | 1841 kcal | 81.7 kg | 1407 kcal | 1472 kcal |
| 35 | 107.2 kg | 1891 kcal | 2046 kcal | 95.3 kg | 1543 kcal | 1598 kcal |
From BMR to daily burn: TDEE at age 56
Multiplying BMR by an activity factor gives total daily energy expenditure. The factors below are the same five levels the main calculator offers, applied to the BMI-25 man from the table (76.6 kg, BMR 1585 kcal):
| Activity level | Factor | TDEE |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary — little or no exercise | ×1.2 | 1902 kcal/day |
| Lightly active — 1–3 days/week | ×1.375 | 2179 kcal/day |
| Moderately active — 3–5 days/week | ×1.55 | 2457 kcal/day |
| Very active — 6–7 days/week | ×1.725 | 2734 kcal/day |
| Extra active — intense daily training | ×1.9 | 3012 kcal/day |
Get your own figure
Body size matters more than any reference table can capture, so a two-minute personal estimate is usually worth more than a row of averages. Enter your numbers and the box computes the Mifflin-St Jeor result with the same coefficients used across this site:
Frequently asked questions
What is the BMR of a 56-year-old?
It depends on body size as well as age. At age 56, a 175 cm man weighing about 76.6 kg has a Mifflin-St Jeor BMR of roughly 1585 kcal per day, while a 165 cm woman at 68.1 kg lands near 1271 kcal per day. The table above shows how the estimate moves across four common body-composition levels.
Why does BMR fall as age increases?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation subtracts 5 kcal for every year of age, so between age 20 and age 80 the estimate drops by about 300 kcal per day at the same height and weight. The coefficient is a population average: body composition, not the birthday itself, drives most of the real change.
Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict — which should I use?
Mifflin-St Jeor is the default on this site because validation studies found it tracks measured resting energy expenditure more closely for most adults. Harris-Benedict, shown beside it in the table, runs higher for many people — often by 5 to 10 percent — so comparing the two columns is a quick way to see the uncertainty band around any single number.
Nearby ages
Want the full picture — Katch-McArdle from body-fat percentage, the age chart and TDEE in one run? Open the BMRScope calculator or browse every age page.