Calorie needs at age 27, male
Daily calorie needs depend on age, sex, size and how much you move. Here is the sum for a 27-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb.
How it works
Start with resting calories from Mifflin-St Jeor. Take 10 times weight in kilograms and add 6.25 times height in centimeters. Subtract 5 times age. Then add 5 for males or subtract 161 for females. Multiply by an activity factor to get daily calories. This 27-year-old man uses a factor of 1.375 for the lightly active level.
Worked example
For a man aged 27, weight is 80.74 kg and height is 177.8 cm. Weight gives 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. Height gives 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Age takes off 5 × 27 = 135. Add 5. Resting calories are 1788.65, or 1789 when rounded. Multiply by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2459.4. That rounds to 2459 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 27 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 2146 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2459 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2772 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 3085 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 3398 calories a day
Common questions
How big a surplus helps build muscle?
A modest surplus of about 250 calories a day is a common starting point. Larger surpluses tend to add more fat without adding muscle faster. A 250 calorie surplus here means 2709 calories a day for this 27-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 27 change the result?
The formula takes 5 calories off for every year of age, which reflects that resting burn tends to fall over time. At 27 that is 135 calories. Without the age term this 27-year-old man would burn 1924 calories at rest, or 2645 a day at the lightly active level.
How accurate is a calorie estimate?
It is a starting estimate. Track your weight over two or three weeks and adjust the target up or down based on what actually happens. For this 27-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2459 calories is 123 calories a day.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
BMR is what your body burns at rest. TDEE adds the calories you use moving and exercising. It is always higher. For this man aged 27 at 178 lb, BMR is 1789 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2459.
Which activity level should I pick?
Pick the one that matches a typical week, not your best week. If you sit most of the day and train a few times, lightly or moderately active is usually closer than very active. Across the five levels this 27-year-old man ranges from 2146 to 3398 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2459.