TDEE Calculator

Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and custom macronutrient targets for fat loss or muscle gain.

Measurement System
years
kg
cm

What is TDEE and How is Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculated?

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) represents the aggregate number of calories your body burns over a 24-hour cycle. Understanding your TDEE is the scientific foundation of body recomposition: consuming calories equal to your TDEE maintains body weight; consuming below your TDEE induces a caloric deficit for fat loss; and consuming above your TDEE establishes a surplus for lean muscle hypertrophy.

The Four Pillars of Total Daily Energy Expenditure

TDEE is not dictated purely by workout sessions. It is composed of four distinct physiological energy components:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — ~60–75%

The baseline energy expended to sustain involuntary biological functions at complete rest: cellular respiration, central nervous system activity, liver detoxification, cardiac circulation, and pulmonary ventilation.

2. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) — ~15%

Energy burned through spontaneous daily movement outside structured fitness: walking to transit, occupational movement, household chores, posture maintenance, and fidgeting.

3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — ~10%

The metabolic cost of masticating, digesting, absorbing, and assimilating macronutrients. Protein incurs the highest thermic cost (20–30% of ingested energy), followed by carbohydrates (5–10%) and fats (0–3%).

4. Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) — ~5–10%

The deliberate calories expended during intentional physical conditioning, resistance training, high-intensity intervals (HIIT), running, cycling, or swimming sessions.

The Clinical Formulas Behind Our Calculator

Our calculator supports the three most clinically validated metabolic prediction models recognized in sports nutrition literature:

Mifflin-St Jeor Equation (1990) — Clinical Standard

Validated by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) as the most reliable predictor of resting energy expenditure across normal-weight and overweight cohorts:

Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) + 5
Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) - 161
Revised Harris-Benedict Equation (1984)

Refined by Roza and Shizgal from the historical 1919 biometric standard to better account for modern body composition.

Katch-McArdle Formula (Lean Body Mass)

If your body fat percentage is known, Katch-McArdle isolates fat-free mass (FFM), providing unmatched precision for lean individuals and athletes: BMR = 370 + (21.6 × LBM in kg).

Physical Activity Level (PAL) Multiplier Guide

Activity Level Multiplier Real-World Weekly Routine
Sedentary 1.200 Desk job, driving, watching television, negligible deliberate movement.
Lightly Active 1.375 1–2 days per week of light cardio, Pilates, brisk recreational walking.
Moderately Active 1.550 3–5 days per week of moderate resistance training or 45-minute aerobics.
Heavy Exercise 1.725 6–7 days per week of intense weightlifting, CrossFit, or competitive sports.
Athlete / Laborer 1.900 High-demand construction or farming labor combined with rigorous daily athletic training.

Frequently Asked Questions About TDEE

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