Energy expenditure is one of the most fundamental yet often misunderstood aspects of human physiology. A central question is whether there is a ceiling to how many calories we can burn, and what happens when activity levels approach that limit. Grasping these dynamics is essential for health professionals and researchers, as energy balance directly influences body weight regulation, metabolic health, and athletic performance.

Emerging research shows that our bodies regulate calorie burn not in a fixed manner, but through adaptation and compensation, revealing that the “calories in vs. calories out” model is far more dynamic than it may first appear.

In this episode, we revisit key insights from experts such as Dr. Herman Pontzer, Dr. Brent Ruby, Dr. Mark Hopkins, Dr. Eric Trexler, and Dr. Chris Melby. These perspectives cover how the body adapts to different levels of physical activity, the metabolic adjustments during weight loss (often called adaptive thermogenesis), and the concept of energy flux in weight maintenance.

Note: This episode is one of our Premium-exclusive episodes. To listen to the full episode, you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber and access the episode on the private Premium feed. Otherwise, you can hear a preview of the episode on the public feed of the podcast.

Timestamps

• [03:36] Contrained model of energy expendiure
• [12:33] What is the ceiling of human energy expenditure?
• [13:05] Reconciling energy intake and expenditure
• [13:32] Variability in metabolic rates
• [15:16] Adaptive thermogenesis and weight loss
• [18:37] Metabolic adaptation explained
• [31:51] Energy flux and weight maintenance

Resources

• Subscribe to Premium
• Go to sigmanutrition.com
• Article: The “Calories In, Calories Out” Confusion: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Energy Balance
• Included episodes:
  • 208 – Herman Pontzer, PhD | Constrained Energy Expenditure Model & Evolutionary Biology of Energy Balance
  • 124 – Brent Ruby, PhD | The Human Ceiling of Energy Expenditure
  • 299 – Mark Hopkins, PhD | Compensatory Eating & Activity Energy Expenditure
  • 377 – Herman Pontzer, PhD | Metabolism, Mitochondria & Measuring Energy Expenditure
  • 484 – Eric Trexler, PhD | Is Metabolic Adaptation an Illusion?
  • 318 – Chris Melby, DrPH | Impact of Energy Flux on Weight Management