Compare expenditure formulas
Text only — no calculator.
When to use: Before changing calories or if Mifflin and Katch diverge a lot—pick one formula and hold it 2–3 weeks.
When to use which formula
Mifflin–St Jeor — default for most people: mass, height, age, sex. No body-fat % needed.
Katch-McArdle and Cunningham use lean mass (FFM). Better when body composition is known; bad BF% estimates skew results.
Tinsley uses FFM and fat mass for active individuals — still an estimate, not indirect calorimetry.
Key difference
- Mifflin: average population, few inputs
- Katch/Cunningham: better with reliable FFM (Navy, DEXA)
- All need × PAL for TDEE — activity level still dominates