Calorie deficit

How it is used

Used by trainers, nutritionists and fitness apps. People are in, create or maintain a calorie deficit; the opposite is a calorie surplus. Athletes in weight-class sports such as boxing, judo and wrestling discuss it when they need to make weight.

Example sentences

1. She's in a small calorie deficit to move down to the lower weight class.

2. A calorie deficit that is too large can hurt the quality of your training.

Common collocations

• be in a calorie deficit
• create a calorie deficit
• calorie surplus
• daily calorie deficit

Related terms

• macrosShort for macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate and fat, the nutrients the body needs in large amounts and that provide energy.
• body compositionThe proportions of fat, muscle, bone and water that make up the body, often expressed as body fat percentage and lean mass.
• bulk upTo gain body weight and muscle size on purpose, usually by eating more calories than you burn while doing heavy strength training.
• carbohydrateA nutrient found in foods such as bread, rice, pasta, fruit and potatoes that is the body's main source of energy during intense exercise.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• calorie deficit · Nutrition & Dietetics

More terms: Sports Nutrition

• protein
• hydration
• supplement
• creatine
• pre-workout
• electrolytes