Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

How understanding and incorporating NEAT into your daily routine can have a significant impact on your weight loss goals.

I first heard about NEAT a few months ago from an episode of the Huberman Lab podcast where he discussed science-based tools for fat loss. I instantly incorporated some of the methods Andrew Huberman discussed into my daily routine and I have noticed significant results.

Non-exercise Activated Thermogenesis (NEAT) corresponds to essentially any physical activity outside of intentional exercise.

As I am sure most people are aware, your body is constantly expending energy. Even while you are just sitting at a desk reading about NEAT on Substack.

Our daily total energy expenditure (TEE) is just the net amount of energy that we use. This can be broken down into several different components.

Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR): the minimal amount of energy expended to maintain all the body’s vital processes at rest.

Thermal Effect of Food (TEF): The energy required for digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food following meal ingestion.

Physical Activity: the energy used during exercise, either intentional or non-exercise activities.

I had always assumed that the physical exercise I participated in outside of intentional physical training was a contributing factor to how much energy I expend in a given day, but I never really considered it a significant factor.

After listening to the Huberman Lab podcast and reading some of the studies that have been conducted on NEAT, I can honestly say that I was shocked at how much of a difference it can make.

I will not go into any of the specific findings of the research here because the results have varied widely between individuals, but studies have shown a difference in up to 2,000 calories a day between two people of similar size. This is understandably dependent on many factors such as age, genetics, lifestyle, occupation, etc.

Regardless of the results, this is an extremely simple thing that you can incorporate into your day-to-day routine that could potentially have a significant impact on your weight-loss goals. Given the current state of overweight and obesity rates in America, I am assuming that NEAT is more applicable to individuals with goals of losing weight. However, even if it is not your desire to lose weight, this could help you understand why you might have difficulty putting on weight instead of just telling your friends that you’ve “always had a fast metabolism.”

The way I chose to apply NEAT to my life is to incorporate non-exercise activity in the form of fidgeting. When I am sitting at my desk, I might bounce my knee or tap my fingers. When I am driving, I might rapidly flex my leg muscles or play drums on the steering wheel (also a ton of fun).

These fast-paced, low-resistance, twitch-like motions will allow you to incorporate a lot of extra movement without increasing fatigue. This is an important aspect of NEAT because one of the potential consequences of intentional physical training is an accumulation of fatigue that can lead to poor workouts or even injury, which may have an impact on your typical energy expenditure.

There are a ton of ways that you can incorporate extra NEAT into your life without really putting in any extra effort. I tend to pace around while I talk on the phone or take the stairs instead of the elevator when I can.

Again, I had no idea how much of an impact these subtle movements could have on daily TEE and I have personally found this information to be helpful. Hopefully, someone will be able to take the principle of NEAT and apply it to their own life to facilitate their own goals.

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