The minimum amount of calories men need daily depends on their weight, age and activity level. Calories are a measurement of energy and are essential for survival and everyday activities. A man needs more calories than a woman, even when he weighs the same as a woman, because men have more muscle mass and less fat than women and more calories are needed to fuel muscle than fat.
Warning
Calories in food fuel the energy required for survival, physical activity, and the growth and replacement of cells. Surviving requires eating a minimum amount of calories per day so you have the energy to maintain a normal body temperature and keep your cells, heart, kidneys, lungs and other internal organs functioning. Men need about 1,300 calories daily to survive, according to "Essentials for Health and Wellness." Stored fat fuels your body's functions if you eat fewer than 1,300 calories until a lack of stored fat causes death by starvation.
Significance
Eating too few calories can cause numerous problems before you die of starvation. They include an irregular heartbeat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, reduced lung capacity, a loss of sex drive, irritability, anemia, depression, a reduced capacity to work or exercise because of lost muscle mass, increased sensitivity to cold, a reduced ability to fight infections and repair wounds, and an increased risk of sudden death, according to "An Invitation to Health" and The Merck Manual of Medical Information.
Considerations
Men need to eat far more than 1,300 calories for each day's activities. The Merck Manual of Medical Information estimates that the average sedentary man and average active man need a minimum of 2,000 and 2,400 calories daily, respectively. Weight and age are also factors. The average man weighs 174 lbs. An active 145-lb. man needs about 2,100 calories daily; an active 205-lb. man needs about 2,700. Male senior citizens, though, need about 400 fewer calories daily than average male adults.
Sources
Calories come from carbohydrates, fats and proteins. There are nine calories in each gram of fat; four calories in each gram of carbohydrates and proteins. You should get about 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, according to "Essentials." Fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables are the primary sources of carbohydrates. Protein is also important because it builds new tissue to help keep eyesight, hair and skin healthy, according to "Invitation." Protein is abundant in beans and vegetables as well as meat and dairy products.
Comparison
The average man needs about 400 more calories daily than the average woman, according to The Merck Manual. The average man weighs only about 15 percent more than the average woman, but has "roughly twice the percentage of muscle mass and half the percentage of body fat," according to "Invitation." This means men must eat more, but they also have a much easier time losing weight because muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat. Men even burn more calories "just sitting around," writes Dianne Hales.
References
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness;" Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information; 2003
- "An Invitation to Health;" Dianne Hales; 2003
Member Comments