Health

Lean Body Mass Calculator

Calculate lean body mass using Boer and James formulas.

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THE NUMORIX GUIDE

How to use the Lean Body Mass Calculator

Last reviewed September 14, 2026

What this calculator does

The engine calculates Boer lean body mass as 0.

Formula and method

The engine calculates Boer lean body mass as 0.407 * weight + 0.267 * (height * 100) - 19.2 for male or 0.252 * weight + 0.473 * (height * 100) - 48.3 for female. It also calculates a James polynomial and estimates body fat as (weight - Boer) / weight * 100. The UI displays the Boer value, not the James value, as its main lean-mass result.

Variables and inputs

The UI labels weight in kilograms and height in centimeters, with a male or female option. The engine multiplies the entered height by 100 before the Boer formula, so its code path effectively expects the height argument in meters even though the component label says cm. Weight is used in kg.

Worked example

Using the visible defaults of 70 kg, 175 cm, and male: the engine treats height as 175 * 100 = 17,500 in the Boer term, producing 0.407 * 70 + 0.267 * 17,500 - 19.2 = 4,681.79 kg and body fat = (70 - 4,681.79) / 70 * 100 = -6,588.27%. James independently gives 72.97 kg. Entering 1.75 instead would make the Boer result about 56.02 kg, illustrating the unit mismatch.

How to interpret the result

The formulas are intended as estimates of lean body mass, but the current UI-to-engine height mismatch makes the visible default output nonphysiological. The negative body-fat percentage is a code-path warning, not a body-composition finding.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not interpret the displayed default as a real result. The UI says centimeters, while the Boer implementation multiplies the input by 100; verify the height convention before using any output. Lean body mass also includes nonmuscle tissue and is not a direct muscle measurement.

Assumptions and limitations

The current implementation has a unit mismatch between the height label and the Boer formula path, exposes James without displaying it as the headline value, and does not validate body-fat plausibility. Formula estimates also vary with sex profile, body shape, and population. Do not use this route for dosing, diagnosis, or a treatment decision.

Sources and references

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Why does the default produce thousands of kilograms?

The component labels height as centimeters, but the Boer branch multiplies the entered height by 100 again. With 175 entered, it uses 17,500 in the formula, creating the unrealistic result.

What happens if I enter 1.75 instead of 175?

The Boer calculation then treats 1.75 * 100 as 175 cm and produces about 56.02 kg for the male default weight. That is mathematically closer to the intended units, but it conflicts with the visible cm label.

Is lean body mass the same as muscle mass?

No. Lean mass includes water, organs, bone, and muscle, excluding fat. Neither equation directly measures the individual components.

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