Anyone who wants to lose weight, build muscle, or simply live a healthy lifestyle can't avoid one topic: their own energy needs. But what exactly does that mean? How is energy needs calculated—and why do online calculators often differ? In this guide, we'll show you how to realistically determine your personal calorie needs, which factors play a role, and how you can tailor your training—e.g. B. with equipment from Atletica – you can optimally adapt to it.
1. What is meant by energy demand?
Energy requirements are the amount of calories your body needs daily to maintain all functions and perform activities. It consists of two main components:
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR): Energy that your body uses at complete rest to maintain organ functions, breathing, body temperature, etc.
- Energy expenditure (ER): Energy that is additionally required through physical activity, training, work or everyday movement.
Total energy requirement = basal metabolic rate + performance metabolic rate
Your calorie needs are therefore very individual – and depend heavily on your daily activity, your job, and how regularly you exercise. Muscle mass also plays a crucial role: The more muscle you have, the higher your energy consumption – even at rest.
2. How is the basal metabolic rate calculated?
The basal metabolic rate depends on various factors:
- Old
- Gender
- Body size
- Body weight
- muscle mass
A common formula is the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula:
Men : 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (years) + 5
Women : 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (years) – 161
Example:
A 30-year-old woman, 65 kg, 170 cm tall:
10×65 + 6.25×170 – 5×30 – 161 = 1374 kcal basal metabolic rate
This number indicates how much energy your body uses every day when you are not moving at all – i.e. just through breathing, thinking, digesting, heartbeat, etc.
3. How is the performance turnover calculated?
Your energy expenditure depends heavily on your activity level. This is expressed as the PAL (Physical Activity Level) . Here are some examples:
- PAL 1,2: Only sitting, hardly any movement (e.g. B. office job, no sport)
- PAL 1.4 –1.6: Office job with occasional walks, some daily training
- PAL 1.6 –1.9: Regular exercise, e.g. B. 3–4 times a week, active daily routine
- PAL 2.0+: Very active lifestyle, physically demanding job or daily training
Total energy requirement = basal metabolic rate × PAL value
Example : 1374 × 1.6 = 2198 kcal/day
These values are approximate—especially if your activity level fluctuates greatly. For example, if you For example, if you alternate between intensive exercise days and rest days, you should consider your energy needs over a whole week.
4. Adjust energy needs: lose weight, build muscle, maintain weight
Depending on your goals, you should adjust your energy needs accordingly:
a) Losing weight
You need to consume fewer calories than you burn. A moderate deficit of 300–500 kcal per day is ideal.
Goal: Reduce body fat, maintain muscle
Helpful: Combination of strength training (e.g. B. with dumbbells or bodyweight) and endurance training (e.g. B. with the Atletica rowing machine)
When dieting, make sure you get enough protein (approx. 1.5–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight) to protect your muscles.
b) Muscle building
At this point, your body needs more energy to build new muscle mass. A surplus of 250–400 kcal/day is ideal—in combination with a high-protein diet and progressive strength training.
Tip: Use Atletica training benches, dumbbells, or resistance bands for your home workout. A targeted training plan will help you convert excess calories into muscle mass.
c) Maintain weight
Do you want to maintain your current weight? Then focus on your actual total energy needs, without any deficits or excesses. Important: Fluctuations are normal. Keep your energy intake flexible – and adjust it to stressful periods or more intensive training weeks.
5. Energy needs in everyday life: What influences them?
The daily energy requirement is not a fixed value – it fluctuates, for example. E.g. by:
- Training intensity & duration
- Muscle mass (more muscles = higher basal metabolic rate)
- Hormonal changes (e.g. B. Cycle, thyroid)
- Sleep quality
- Stress level
- Nutrition (e.g. B. thermal effect of protein)
Even small movements like walking, climbing stairs, or household chores can significantly impact energy expenditure. Pay attention to NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) – everyday movement outside of planned training.
6. Tools & methods for determining calorie needs
Online calculator
Fast, but inaccurate – as they don't take many individual differences into account. Good for initial orientation.
Fitness trackers & smartwatches
Better because they measure movement and heart rate – but are often inaccurate for strength training or static exercises like planks.
App- supported calorie control
Tools like MyFitnessPal or Yazio allow you to identify long-term patterns. Ideal for tracking how your actual needs compare to your consumption.
Body analysis scales
Trade fairs and a. Muscle percentage and help to better assess the GU – quality strongly depends on the device.
Professional performance diagnostics
The most accurate method – e.g. For example, with spiroergometry at a sports center or at a doctor's office. Cost-intensive, but precise.
7. How to integrate your energy needs into your training
If you know your calorie needs, you can train more specifically:
- Increase calorie consumption: Use cardio equipment such as the indoor bike or elliptical trainer from Atletica to increase your energy expenditure.
- Build muscle mass: Training equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands , training stations or weight benches from Atletica are ideal.
- Support regeneration: sufficient calories = better recovery = long-term success.
Train regularly, but smartly. Your energy needs should cover not only your exercise, but also your recovery and everyday stress.
Conclusion: Realistically assess energy requirements and manage them effectively
Knowing your energy needs allows you to achieve your fitness goals more efficiently—whether weight loss, muscle building, or weight maintenance. Use recognized formulas like the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula to calculate your energy needs, adjust them based on your training goals, and adapt your diet and workouts accordingly.
With the right equipment from Atletica, you can perfectly structure your workout at home or in the office – from intensive cardio training with an indoor bike to targeted strength training with dumbbells, training benches, or resistance bands . Your energy consumption will increase – and so will your progress.
