

įidgeting is an involuntary activity that can have a large effect on energy expenditure. This may not seem like much, but if you are fidgeting while seated, energy expenditure increases by 54 percent compared to lying. However, what you do during the other 22-23hrs of the day is going to have a large effect on total daily energy expenditure.įor example, compared to lying, sitting increases energy expenditure by 4 percent. During the 1-2hrs you are in the gym, energy expenditure is increased. Most of you reading this article work out regularly. Due to the wide variation of energy expenditure from NEAT, it is important to understand how NEAT can affect progress towards your fitness goals. shopping, cleaning, work, recreational activity, etc.) while other components of NEAT are involuntary (e.g. It is the sum of all of the movement done outside of the gym. NEAT is a component of energy expenditure that can vary greatly from person to person. To add more complexity, all of the components of total daily energy expenditure can differ depending upon a number of factors.


Total daily energy expenditure is the sum of basal metabolic rate (the number of calories necessary to keep you alive while maintaining body weight), exercise activity thermogenesis (your workouts in the gym), thermic effect of food (roughly 10 percent of energy consumed is used to digest/absorb food) and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). However, assuming all calorie containing food and beverages are accurately accounted for, energy intake can be measured relatively accurately.Įnergy expenditure is more difficult to quantify. Under-reporting of calorie intake has been widely reported in the scientific literature even in trained dietitians. However, it should be noted that people tend to under-report intake. However, there are a number of factors that go into this seemingly simple equation.Įnergy intake is relatively easy to measure since it is the sum of all energy containing foods and beverages consumed. If you consume more calories than you expend you will gain weight and if you expend more calories than you intake you will lose weight. Energy Balance = Calories In – Calories Out
