Clinical Medicine & Physiology
Harris-Benedict BMR Formula: Classic 1918 vs Revised Roza-Shizgal (1984) Equations
Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate (kcal/day) and Total Energy Expenditure using both the original J. Arthur Harris & Francis G. Benedict (1918) equations and Allan M. Roza & Harry M. Shizgal’s (1984) recalibrated equations.
Compare original 1918 Harris-Benedict against Roza & Shizgal’s 1984 body-cell-mass recalibration!
Published in 1918 by J. Arthur Harris and Francis G. Benedict from Carnegie Nutrition Laboratory indirect calorimetry on 239 healthy adults, the Classic Harris-Benedict Equations are Male BMR_1918 = 66.473 + 13.7516 * W_kg + 5.0033 * H_cm - 6.755 * Age_yr and Female BMR_1918 = 655.0955 + 9.5634 * W_kg + 1.8496 * H_cm - 4.6756 * Age_yr!
In 1984 (Am J Clin Nutr), Allan M. Roza and Harry M. Shizgal re-analyzed Harris-Benedict plus 168 modern isotope-dilution body-cell-mass datasets, publishing the Revised Roza-Shizgal Equations widely embedded in modern clinical nutrition calculators: Male BMR_1984 = 88.362 + 13.397 * W_kg + 4.799 * H_cm - 5.677 * Age_yr and Female BMR_1984 = 447.593 + 9.247 * W_kg + 3.098 * H_cm - 4.330 * Age_yr!
| Equation Version | Male Equation (W in kg, H in cm, A in yr) | Female Equation (W in kg, H in cm, A in yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Harris-Benedict (1918) | 66.473 + 13.7516*W + 5.0033*H - 6.755*A | 655.0955 + 9.5634*W + 1.8496*H - 4.6756*A |
| Revised Roza-Shizgal (1984) | 88.362 + 13.397*W + 4.799*H - 5.677*A | 447.593 + 9.247*W + 3.098*H - 4.330*A |
Revised Roza-Shizgal (1984) Basal Metabolic Rate BMR (kcal/day)
Computes sex-specific Revised Harris-Benedict BMR from Sex ("M" or "F" in B2), Weight kg (B3), Height cm (B4), and Age years (B5).
=IF(OR(AND(UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) <> "M", UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) <> "F"), B3 < 25, B3 > 300, B4 < 100, B4 > 250, B5 < 18, B5 > 120), "Invalid Sex (M/F), Weight, Height, or Adult Age", ROUND(IF(UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) = "M", 88.362 + 13.397 * B3 + 4.799 * B4 - 5.677 * B5, 447.593 + 9.247 * B3 + 3.098 * B4 - 4.33 * B5), 1))Classic 1918 Harris-Benedict BMR (kcal/day) for Historical Protocol Comparison
Evaluates original 1918 Carnegie Institution coefficients on the same anthropometric inputs.
=IF(OR(AND(UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) <> "M", UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) <> "F"), B3 < 25, B3 > 300, B4 < 100, B4 > 250, B5 < 18, B5 > 120), "Invalid Sex (M/F), Weight, Height, or Adult Age", ROUND(IF(UPPER(TRIM(B2 & "")) = "M", 66.473 + 13.7516 * B3 + 5.0033 * B4 - 6.755 * B5, 655.0955 + 9.5634 * B3 + 1.8496 * B4 - 4.6756 * B5), 1))Try the example
Use the original values or change them to test your understanding.