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How it is calculated
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is estimated in two steps.
1. Basal metabolic rate
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the predictive equation found most accurate for healthy adults with and without obesity in the systematic review by Frankenfield et al. (2005):
Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) + 5Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age (years) − 161
2. Activity multiplier
TDEE = BMR × activity factor
| Level | Typical week | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | desk job, little or no planned exercise | × 1.2 |
| Lightly active | light exercise 1–3 days a week | × 1.375 |
| Moderately active | moderate exercise 3–5 days a week | × 1.55 |
| Very active | hard exercise 6–7 days a week | × 1.725 |
| Extremely active | physical job plus daily hard training | × 1.9 |
These are the conventional multipliers used with BMR equations in clinical and sports nutrition. They are deliberately conservative: the FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation describes sedentary or lightly active lifestyles with physical activity levels of 1.40–1.69 × BMR, active lifestyles with 1.70–1.99 and vigorous lifestyles with 2.00–2.40. If your weight is stable over several weeks, your actual intake is a better guide to your maintenance calories than any multiplier.
Limitations
- Both steps are estimates, and their errors add up, so your real expenditure can be noticeably higher or lower than the figure shown.
- People tend to overestimate how active they are. If unsure between two levels, choose the lower one.
- The result is not valid for children, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions that change metabolism.
- Energy expenditure falls as weight falls. Recalculate after any significant change in weight or activity.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241–247. Read the source (opens in a new tab)
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775–789. Read the source (opens in a new tab)
- FAO/WHO/UNU. Human energy requirements: report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation, Rome, 17–24 October 2001. FAO Food and Nutrition Technical Report Series 1. Rome: FAO; 2004. Read the source (opens in a new tab)