A person's daily calorie burn depends on current weight, age, sex, exercise routines and health. An older desk jockey with a sedentary job will burn far fewer calories than for example a cyclist in the Tour de France, who may churn through 6,000 calories per day.
Time Frame
Sedentary children aged 2 to 3 need 1,000 calories per day or up to 1,400 if they are active. Calorie burns peak at ages 19 to 30, where active men burn 3,000 calories a day and active women, 2,400. Active men age 51 and above may burn 2,400 to 2,800 calories, and active women, 2,000 to 2,200.
Expert Insight
The USDA Dietary Guidelines of 2005 bases its calorie burn estimates on median height and weight, which equate to a body mass index of 21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males. It defines active to mean a lifestyle involving walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 mph.
Warning
Sedentary persons, who perform only light physical activity typical of everyday life, burn fewer calories. A sedentary woman aged 31 to 50 burns 1,800 calories per day, and a sedentary man, 2,200.
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