NEAT - Burn More Calories!

There are three principle components individuals use to expend energy on a daily basis: basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, and thermic effect of physical activity. 

1)    Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy required to maintain bodily functions at rest - this accounts for about 60% of total daily energy expenditure (Levine & Kotz, 2005).

2)     “Thermic effect of food is the increase in energy expenditure associated with the digestion, absorption, and storage of food and accounts for 6–12% of total daily energy expenditure” (Levine & Kotz, 2005, p. 310). 

3)    Thermic effect of physical activity is subdivided into two components:  exercise related activity thermogenesis (planned exercise) and non-exercise activity thermogenesis [NEAT] accounting for 15-30% of daily energy expenditure (Levine, 2004).   Planned exercise burns calories, but most of us cannot spend hours exercising every day.  NEAT is everything we do that isn’t sleeping, eating, or planned exercise.  “NEAT includes the energy expenditure of occupation, leisure, sitting, standing, walking, talking, toe-tapping, fidgeting, playing guitar, dancing, and shopping” (Levine, 2004, p. S82). 

Basal metabolic rate decreases with age and when one loses weight, hence fewer calories are needed.  In addition to planned exercise sessions, NEAT should be incorporated into your day!  Try of few of the suggestions below to increase NEAT: 

·         Take a walk at lunch or have a walking meeting

·         Park the car further away when you’re at work or at the grocery store

·         If you live close enough, walk your kids to school

·         Stand or walk when you’re talking on the phone

·         Ask your boss about a standing work station

·         Make dinner instead of stopping for take-out

·         Clean house

·         If you are watching TV, get up during commercials and do something

 Sit Less – Stand/Move More!

References:

Levine, J. A. (2004). Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). Nutrition Reviews,  

      62(7), 82-97. doi:10.1301/nr.2004.jul.S82­S97

 Levine, J. A., & Kotz, C. M. (2005). NEAT – non-exercise activity thermogenesis –

     egocentric & geocentric environmental factors vs. biological regulation. Acta

     Physiologica Scandinavica, 184(4), 309-318. doi:10.1111/j.1365-201X.2005.01467.x