Energy Requirements
It is problematic, if not unmanageable, to attain an entirely precise appraisal of one’s energy expenditure (in a day). As a result of this, substitute methods are habitually used. One aforementioned technique is to quantity calorie intake. This system is effective if one is sustaining an unchanging body mass, as a steady weight shows that energy consumption usually equates to energy use. For one who is tremendously diligent, the best approach is to evaluate the calorie ingestion from a three-day food record. If that is not preferable, then one can utilise mathematical calculations that coarsely estimate calorie use grounded on the aforementioned factors in the introduction.
Nevertheless, as previously stated, it is essential to note that these are intended as frames of reference, and thanks to the inter- and intra-individual dissimilarity, it is challenging to correctly get hold of the required data.
One system of appraisal can be found in Table 1:
Table 1: Approximated Everyday Caloric Requirements of Males and Females via Activity Level
|
Activity Level |
Male (kcal/pound) |
Male (kcal/kg) |
Female (kcal/pound) |
Female (kcal/kg) |
|
Light* |
17 |
38 |
16 |
35 |
|
Moderate** |
19 |
41 |
17 |
37 |
|
Heavy*** |
23 |
50 |
20 |
44 |
- *Walking on a flat surface at 4.0-4.8 kilometres per hour, garage labour, electrical professions, woodworking, restaurant jobs, house cleaning, golf, table tennis etc.
- **Walking 5.5 to 6.5 kilometres for every hour, carrying a weight, biking, tennis, dancing etc.
- ***Hiking (with weight) uphill, lumberjack work, substantial labour-intensive excavating, basketball, mountaineering, soccer, rugby etc.
As an example, for a male who weighs 85kg and is highly physically active, the requirement would be (roughly) 4250 kcal (50 x 85).
An alternative for acquiring energy spending is to determine resting energy expenditure (REE), then multiply it by a factor grounded on amount of activity. Quite a few calculations for approximating REE exist. One reliable group of calculations, produced by the World Health Organisation, can be found in Table 2:
Table 2: Estimated Daily Calorie Needs Based on Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Activity Level
- To uncover the REE, borrow one of these equations:
|
Age and Gender |
Calories per day |
|
Males: 10 – 18 years of age |
(17.686 x weight in kg) + 658.2 |
|
Males: 19 – 30 years of age |
(15.057 x weight in kg) + 692.2 |
|
Males: 31 – 60 years of age |
(11.472 x weight in kg) + 873.1 |
|
Males: Above 60 years of age |
(11.711 x weight in kg) + 587.7 |
|
Females: 10 – 18 years of age |
(13.384 x weight in kg) + 692.6 |
|
Females: 19 – 30 years of age |
(14.818 x weight in kg) + 486.6 |
|
Females: 31 – 60 years of age |
(8.126 x weight in kg) + 845.6 |
|
Females: Above 60 years of age |
(9.082 x weight in kg) + 658.5 |
- After finding the REE, multiply the REE by one of the following in order to approximate daily calorie requirements:
LEVEL OF ACTIVITY |
PAL (PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL) RATE (X REE) |
INACTIVE OR LIGHTLY ACTIVE WAY OF LIFE |
1.40 – 1.69 |
ACTIVE OR REASONABLY ACTIVE WAY OF LIFE |
1.70 – 1.99 |
ENERGETIC OR VIGOROUSLY ACTIVE WAY OF LIFE |
2.00 – 2.40* |
- *PAL standards in excess of 2.40 are hard to sustain over an extended period of time
The resulting number embodies the calories that are expected to be used by the individual in a normal day. Those wishing to retain body weight would need to ingest the same number of calories that they spend.
