Calorie needs at age 70, male
This page estimates total daily energy use. The sample is a man aged 70 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, and the table shows every activity level.
How it works
Daily calories equal resting calories times an activity factor. Resting calories come from Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 times kilograms plus 6.25 times centimeters minus 5 times age, with 5 added for males or 161 taken off for females. The factor runs from 1.2 to 1.9. Here the man aged 70 has a height of 177.8 cm and a weight of 80.74 kg, at the lightly active level.
Worked example
Take a man aged 70 who is 5 ft 10 in tall and weighs 178 lb. In metric that is 177.8 cm and 80.74 kg. Multiply weight by 10: 10 × 80.74 = 807.4. Multiply height by 6.25: 6.25 × 177.8 = 1111.25. Subtract 5 × 70 = 350. Add 5. That gives 1573.65, which rounds to 1574 calories at rest. Multiply 1573.65 by 1.375 for the lightly active level to get 2163.8, which rounds to 2164 calories a day.
Maintenance calories at every activity level for the same man aged 70 at 5 ft 10 in and 178 lb, with the lightly active level set in the form above.
- Sedentary (little or no exercise)
- 1888 calories a day
- Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days a week)
- 2164 calories a day
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week)
- 2439 calories a day
- Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week)
- 2715 calories a day
- Extra active (very hard exercise and a physical job)
- 2990 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 2414 calories a day for this 70-year-old man at the lightly active level.
Why does age 70 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 70 that is 350 calories. Without the age term this 70-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 70-year-old man, a 5 percent error on 2164 calories is 108 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 70 at 178 lb, BMR is 1574 calories and TDEE at the lightly active level is 2164.
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 70-year-old man ranges from 1888 to 2990 calories a day, and the lightly active level gives 2164.