Thanks to completing our home assessment, you are finally on an exercise program that supports increased speed and distance off the tee. You are in the gym consistently and spending more time on the course, whether practicing or playing.
You are on the right path and already seeing improvements. But now, you want to take things to the next level and see faster results.
You may be thinking:
- You could probably lose a few pounds
- You wish you had more energy
- Progress feels slower than it used to
As we age, it’s easy to believe that gaining body fat and losing muscle is inevitable. We hear phrases like “things slow down” or “it gets harder as you get older.”
If you accept that mindset, then yes, that outcome becomes more likely.
However, science tells us something very different. You are not an exception to the laws of thermodynamics or human physiology.
The Nutrition Knowledge Gap in Golf
I believe most amateur athletes, and even some professionals, are undereducated when it comes to recovery, especially nutrition.
For example, I recently watched Phil Mickelson claim on Instagram that he lost 20 pounds in a week by not eating and drinking his “special” coffee. He also suggested that sea salt is a natural energy source.
This is a major issue.
Many amateur golfers look up to elite players and assume that if it works for a professional, it must be good for them too. Unfortunately, this is not only incorrect, but potentially dangerous.
This type of misinformation can negatively impact health, performance, and long-term well-being.
Purpose of This Series
My goal in this four-part series is to give golfers at any level the foundational knowledge needed to improve body composition.
By doing so, you can:
- Increase energy levels
- Decrease recovery time
- Improve performance in the gym and on the course
In Part 1, we cover the most important concept of all, regardless of whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain: caloric balance.
Part 1: Calorie Balance
For power athletes, including golfers, the goal is to increase muscle mass while reducing excess body fat. This leads to improved strength, speed, and efficiency.
Research published in Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that sprinters with greater fat-free mass (FFM) and muscular girth performed better. Increasing BMI through lean mass, rather than fat, improved sprint performance (Barbieri, 2017).
To achieve this safely, we must understand how the body uses and expends energy.
What Is a Calorie?
A calorie is simply a unit of energy extracted from the food you eat.
Caloric balance refers to the relationship between:
- Calories in (food consumed)
- Calories out (energy expended)
To lose weight, you must be in a caloric deficit.
To gain weight, you must be in a caloric surplus.
While calories in are straightforward, calories out are more complex. They are made up of four key components.
The Four Components of Energy Expenditure
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR is the amount of energy your body uses at rest.
Even if you were to sit in a chair all day and do nothing, your body would still require calories to function. This includes breathing, circulation, hormone production, and nervous system activity.
Your BMR depends on factors such as:
- Gender
- Height
- Weight
- Lean body mass
Several online calculators can estimate your BMR, including:
- Harris-Benedict Equation
- Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
Once you know your BMR, you are one step closer to calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
NEAT includes all the calories burned from daily movement outside of structured exercise.
These movements may seem insignificant on their own, but they add up throughout the day.
Examples include:
- Fidgeting or tapping your foot
- Typing or gesturing while talking
- Standing, walking, or moving around at work
NEAT varies greatly between individuals and depends heavily on lifestyle, job demands, and daily habits.
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
TEF refers to the energy required to digest, absorb, and process food.
Different macronutrients require different amounts of energy to be metabolised:
- Protein: Uses 20–30% of its calories
- Carbohydrates: Uses 5–10%
- Fats: Uses 0–3%
Protein has the highest thermic effect, which is one reason high-protein diets are often associated with better body composition and higher diet adherence.
We will explore macronutrients in more detail in Part 2.
- Exercise Activity
Exercise is the most obvious form of energy expenditure.
However, many people do not realise that calorie burn during exercise is influenced by calorie intake. When calories are severely restricted, the body adapts by reducing energy output.
The body prioritises survival over performance. When energy availability is low, recovery and adaptation suffer.
This is why drastic calorie cuts can negatively impact:
- Gym performance
- Sport performance
- Recovery
- Metabolic rate
Exercise is still essential for health and fat loss, but it must be supported with adequate nutrition.
Setting Realistic Calorie Targets
Once you estimate your TDEE, you can adjust calories to support fat loss or muscle gain.
This does not mean cutting 1,000 calories and trying to sustain it long-term.
Extreme deficits:
- Reduce energy and focus
- Impair training performance
- Lower metabolic rate
- Increase the risk of inconsistency
A sustainable rate of change is:
- 0.5 to 1.5 lbs per week, at most
Research consistently shows that long-term adherence is the most important factor for successful body composition changes (Alhassan, 2008).
Final Thoughts
By understanding the four components of energy expenditure, you can estimate your TDEE and better support your daily needs.
Remember:
- All calculators provide estimates
- Daily energy expenditure fluctuates
- Tracking intake and body weight over time provides the best insight
In Part 2, we will cover the next crucial topic in body composition: macronutrient breakdown.
Stay tuned.
