TDEE CalculatorCalculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using the scientifically-validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Determine your daily caloric requirements for weight maintenance, fat loss, or muscle gain goals.
Input Metrics (Metric)
Gender
Age
Weight (kg)
Height (cm)
Activity Level
1. Understanding TDEE and BMR**Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)** represents the comprehensive caloric expenditure your body requires over a 24-hour period. This metabolic measurement serves as the foundation for evidence-based nutritional programming and body composition management. TDEE encompasses four distinct thermogenic components:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - (60-75% of TDEE)**Physiological Role:** The metabolic energy required for essential physiological processes including cellular respiration, cardiovascular circulation, neurological function, and organ maintenance during complete rest. BMR represents the largest thermogenic component of total energy expenditure.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) - (15% of TDEE)
**Physiological Role:** Energy expenditure from spontaneous muscle activity, postural maintenance, and involuntary muscle contractions excluding structured exercise. NEAT includes occupational activities, ambulation, fidgeting, and thermogenesis from environmental factors.
Exercise Activity (EA) - (5-10% of TDEE)**Physiological Role:** Energy expenditure from intentional, structured physical activities including resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and sport-specific movements. Exercise activity thermogenesis varies significantly based on training intensity, duration, and modality.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) - (5-10% of TDEE)**Physiological Role:** The metabolic cost of food processing including digestion, absorption, transport, and storage of macronutrients. TEF demonstrates macronutrient-specific variations, with protein exhibiting the highest thermogenic effect (20-30% of calories consumed).
2. Using Your TDEE to Achieve GoalsYour calculated TDEE establishes your caloric maintenance threshold - the precise energy intake required for weight stability. Body composition modification requires strategic caloric manipulation relative to this baseline through controlled energy balance protocols:
Weight Loss (Calorie Deficit)Implement a controlled caloric deficit of **300-500 kcal** below TDEE. A 500 kcal daily deficit theoretically targets 0.45 kg (1 lb) weekly fat loss, assuming 3,500 kcal per pound of adipose tissue and optimal metabolic conditions.
Weight Gain (Calorie Surplus)
Establish a moderate caloric surplus of **200-400 kcal** above TDEE. Conservative surplus protocols optimize muscle protein synthesis while minimizing adipose tissue accumulation during lean mass acquisition phases.
Maintenance / Recomposition
Maintain caloric intake at or marginally below TDEE while emphasizing elevated protein consumption (1.6-2.2g/kg body weight) to facilitate simultaneous muscle protein synthesis and gradual fat oxidation through body recomposition protocols.
3. The Activity Multiplier BreakdownActivity multipliers transform basal metabolic rate into total daily energy expenditure through validated physical activity level (PAL) coefficients. These multipliers account for exercise thermogenesis, occupational activity, and lifestyle-related energy expenditure:
Level
Description
Multiplier
Sedentary
Little to no exercise, desk job.
1.2
Lightly Active
1-3 days of light exercise/week.
1.375
Moderately Active
3-5 days of moderate exercise/week.
1.55
Very Active
6-7 days of intense exercise/week.
1.725
Extra Active
Daily intense exercise plus a physical job.
1.9
⚠️ Important NoteTDEE calculations provide scientifically-validated estimates with inherent individual variability. Factors including lean body mass, genetic polymorphisms, thyroid function, insulin sensitivity, and adaptive thermogenesis influence actual energy expenditure. Implement progressive caloric adjustments of 100-200 kcal based on objective progress monitoring and metabolic adaptation responses.
4. TDEE Applications in Sports Nutrition
Training Phase
Caloric Adjustment
Primary Objective
Duration
Cutting Phase
TDEE - 300-500 kcal
Fat loss, muscle preservation
8-16 weeks
Bulking Phase
TDEE + 200-400 kcal
Muscle hypertrophy, strength gains
12-24 weeks
Maintenance Phase
TDEE ± 50 kcal
Weight stability, performance
4-8 weeks
Recomposition
TDEE - 100-200 kcal
Simultaneous fat loss, muscle gain
16-24 weeks
5. Factors Influencing Energy Expenditure
Physiological Factors
• Lean body mass: Higher muscle mass increases BMR