What is Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)?
Total daily energy expenditure is the energy burnt on average during an entire day. It reflects the average amount of energy spent during a typical day, but it is not the same each and every day. It is because our TDEE depends on many different factors, including:
- Basal metabolism (BMR), which depends on many factors itself, including: age, sex, height, weight, fat free mass, fat mass. Depending on those factors, BMR represents 45 to 70 percent of TDEE.
- Metabolic response of food (TEF), which is the energy needed to ingest and digest food. It is usually estimated to be 10% of total caloric intake.
- Physical activity, which can vary every day. After BMR, this is the second-largest component of TDEE.
- Physiological state: growth, pregnancy, lactation, etc.
How to Measure TDEE?
The total daily energy expenditure can be measured using various methods, including:
- the doubly labeled water technique (DLW),
- direct and indirect calorimetry,
- accelerometry,
- heart rate monitors,
- pedometers,
- self-report methods.
The first five methods are not available to everyone, as they require using specialist equipment. Therefore, we created this total daily energy expenditure calculator to help you calculate your TDEE using just basic information.
TDEE Formula
There is no one universal TDEE formula for estimating total daily energy expenditure. Estimation of TDEE is usually undertaken by assessing your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and then multiplying it by the appropriate physical activity level (PAL). Researchers have developed several equations that predict basal metabolic rate.
The physical activity level is a way to express a person's daily physical activity. Typical PAL values in adults range from 1.20 to 2.40:
| Activity Level | PAL | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Little or no exercise |
| Light | 1.375 | Light exercise 1–2 times/week |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Moderate exercise 2–3 times/week |
| Active | 1.725 | Hard exercise 4–5 times/week |
| Very Active | 1.9 | Physical job or hard exercise 6–7 times/week |
| Professional Athlete | 2.4 | Training multiple times per day |
Supported BMR Formulas
- Mifflin-St Jeor — one of the most popular BMR equations recommended by the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Uses sex, age, height, and weight.
Male: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 5
Female: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161 - Harris-Benedict (1919) — historically the most notable BMR formula. Uses sex, age, height, and weight.
- Revised Harris-Benedict (1984) — a revised version altered by researchers in 1984. Uses sex, age, height, and weight.
- Katch-McArdle — the only formula taking lean body mass into account. You can enter LBM directly or calculate it from your body fat percentage.
BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean body mass (kg) - Schofield (WHO) — equation used by the World Health Organization. Uses sex, age, and weight.
TDEE Calculator — an Example
Let's try to calculate the total daily energy expenditure for a female, who is 45 years old, 165 cm tall and weighs 60 kilograms.
We choose the Mifflin-St Jeor formula:
BMR = 10 × 60 kg + 6.25 × 165 cm − 5 × 45 years − 161 = 600 + 1031 − 225 − 161 = 1,245 kcal/day
Assuming moderate exercise 2–3 times per week (PAL = 1.55):
TDEE = 1,245 × 1.55 = 1,930 kcal/day
The TDEE components break down as follows:
- BMR = 1,245 kcal/day (65% of total)
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) = 193 kcal/day (10% of TDEE)
- Physical Activity = 1,930 − 1,245 − 193 = 492 kcal/day
I Know How Many Calories I Burn — What Now?
Once you know your TDEE, you can use it to plan your diet:
- Maintain weight: eat approximately your TDEE in calories per day.
- Lose weight: eat 300–500 kcal below your TDEE (caloric deficit).
- Gain weight: eat 300–500 kcal above your TDEE (caloric surplus).