Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Total Daily Energy Expenditure offers you the idea of how your body uses energy every day. It connects your basal body needs to your daily activities.

What is TDEE?

TDEE means the total amount of calories our body burns in a day. It includes all the ways we use energy, like through physiological functions and the thermic effect of food metabolism.

There are mainly four components of TDEE. Here is a quick overview.

Component	Description	Accounts For
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)	It is the calories we need for body functions at rest. Such as breathing or circulation.	60–70% of TDEE
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)	It is the energy our body uses to digest and absorb nutrients.	10% of TDEE
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)	It is the calories burned in our bodies during exercise.	5% of TDEE
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)	It is the energy we expend in daily non-exercise movements. For instance, walking or doing chores.	More than 15% of TDEE

How to Calculate TDEE?

To calculate TDEE, we first need to calculate our BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. The Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation is generally used for this purpose.

BMR Calculation with Mifflin-St. Jeor Formula

For Men:

BMR = (weight in kg × 10) + (height in cm × 6.25) − (age in years × 5) + 5

For Women:

BMR = (weight in kg × 10) + (height in cm × 6.25) − (age in years × 5) − 161

Next, the BMR value is multiplied by your activity level. As our daily energy expenditure varies depending on how active we are, this chart is generally used.

Activity Level	Multiplier	Description
Sedentary	1.2	Little or no exercise
Lightly Active	1.375	Light exercise 1–3 days per week
Moderately Active	1.55	Moderate exercise 3–5 days per week
Very Active	1.725	Hard exercise 6–7 days per week
Extra Active	1.9	Very hard exercise in a week

So, the TDEE Formula is-

TDEE = BMR X Activity Level

Example of TDEE Calculation

Let’s say it’s given,

Age: 30 years
Sex: Male
Weight: 70 kg
Height: 175 cm
Active level: Moderately active, exercises 3–5 days a week

First, the BMR calculation

BMR = 5 + (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years)

= 5+ (10 × 70) + (6.25 × 175) − (5 × 30)

=5 + 700 + 1,094 −150

=1,649 kcal per day

Second, the TDEE calculation

TDEE = BMR X Activity Level

= 1,649 × 1.55

=2,556 kcal per day