Energy Balance and Human Energetics
The Science of Metabolism, Calories, and Body-Weight Regulation
About this volume
Energy Balance and Human Energetics is Book F1 of The Performance & Human Physiology Encyclopedia — a 93-volume, university-level library on the metabolic first principles every nutrition decision rests on. It is written for dietitians, nutrition students, coaches and anyone managing their own body: deep enough that a professional already trained in the field keeps learning, structured clearly enough that a motivated reader can follow every step.
How this book is written
- University level, without dilution. Exact scientific terminology, defined at first use — mechanisms, not just conclusions.
- Evidence graded, not asserted. Major claims carry a level, from A (strong) to D (expert opinion), so you always know how much weight to give them.
- Numbers, formulas, worked examples. Reference ranges, equations and solved calculations you can apply the same day.
- Myths tested against the evidence. Where a popular claim does not survive the evidence, the book says so — and shows why.
- References at the end of every chapter. Sources cited in APA 7 style, plus a master bibliography.
For general information and education only; not medical advice. Consult a qualified health professional before acting on its content.
Read an excerpt
From Chapter 1 — Energy, Life, and the Laws of Thermodynamics
"Everything we do — every heartbeat, every thought, every step under a loaded barbell — is a transaction in the currency of energy."
Almost every nutrition question anyone ever asks — Why am I not losing fat? Should I eat fewer carbs? Does eating late cause weight gain? Is my metabolism broken? — reduces, at bottom, to a question about energy and its transformations. Whether you are reasoning about your own physiology, training toward a goal, studying the science formally, or guiding someone else, the laws in this chapter are the bedrock. They are also where popular nutrition most often goes wrong, because the underlying thermodynamics is rarely taught with both rigor and clarity. This chapter aims to give you that combination: the formalism a graduate student needs and the intuition a practitioner can use at the bedside or in the gym. Master it, and the rest of the book — indeed, the rest of the field — becomes far easier to navigate.
What is inside
The 12 chapters of this volume.
- 01
Energy, Life, and the Laws of Thermodynamics
First principles: energy, the two laws, calories, "a calorie is a calorie"
- 02
Measuring Energy: Calorimetry and the Calorie
Direct/indirect calorimetry, Weir, RER/RQ, Atwater, doubly labeled water
- 03
The Architecture of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
The four components, PAL, metabolic scaling, constrained expenditure
- 04
Basal and Resting Metabolic Rate
BMR/RMR, organ–tissue model, determinants, the main prediction equations
- 05
The Thermic Effect of Food
TEF by macronutrient, mechanisms, meal frequency, measurement
- 06
Activity Energy Expenditure: Exercise (EAT) and NEAT
METs, EPOC, NEAT, compensation, exercise for health vs. weight
- 07
Estimating Energy Needs in Practice
Factorial & back-calculation methods, error, the iterative loop
- 08
The Intake Side: Appetite, Satiety, and Energy Regulation
Homeostatic/hedonic control, appetite hormones, satiety levers
- 09
Fuel Selection: Substrate Use and Metabolic Flexibility
Crossover concept, fed/fasted, metabolic flexibility, fat-burning myths
- 10
Body-Weight Regulation: Set Points and Adaptive Thermogenesis
Regulation models, adaptive thermogenesis, weight regain
- 11
Manipulating Energy Balance: Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Recomposition
Deficits/surpluses, protein & training, RED-S, periodization
- 12
Putting It All Together: Assessment, Cases, and Pitfalls
End-to-end workflow, troubleshooting, case studies, ethics
Volume details
Topics covered
- TDEE total daily expenditure explained
- resting metabolic rate BMR equations
- thermic effect of food
- NEAT non-exercise activity thermogenesis
- adaptive thermogenesis set point
- maintenance intake and deficit planning
- appetite hormones satiety leptin ghrelin
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