The Science Behind Cheat Days: Do They Actually Reset Your TDEE?

Cheat days have emerged as a popular tool in many fitness and diet regimens. It's a very straightforward idea: follow your dietary rules to the letter for a period of time to then earn yourself a day in which you can eat more freely, even excessively at times.

In addition to the psychological relief that they bring, others claim that cheat days can "reset" metabolism or TDEE. Science backs this up? Let's get into it.

Why TDEE Drops During Dieting, and Where Cheat Days Come In

When you're taking in fewer calories than you are burning, not eating enough to create a deficit of calories, your body does not just very smoothly shed fat. It adapts. One of the most important changes is a reduction in energy expenditure, leading to a reduction in TDEE, which makes further fat loss more difficult the longer you diet.

This adaptation does not come from workouts or food intake alone. It is present in all of the following:

• NEAT is lowered as there is less movement;
• Your body becomes more efficient, burning fewer calories for the tasks done;
• There is a decrease in hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones, thus also slowing metabolism.

It is in this circumstance that cheat days enter the picture. The idea is that the metabolic slowdown can be prevented or even reversed with periodic increases in calorie intake, especially from carbohydrates. But is taking a cheat day really that effective?

The Logic Behind Cheat Days

The theory that underpins cheat days goes beyond just offering a psychological reprieve; it also argues in favor of metabolic reactivation. It kind of restores an equilibrium for the mind after strict dieting and possibly makes adherence easier in the long run, while at the same time, the body believes a temporary calorie surplus will reactivate a metabolism that has slowed down from dieting.

This brought about the idea of what is called "metabolic adaptation" or "adaptive thermogenesis." This is a survival mechanism of the body: when the calories go down, metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Cheat days are purportedly a means of tricking the body into thinking food is once again abundant, hence preventing or reversing some of that adaptation.

Do Cheat Days Really Speed Up Metabolism?

Let's look into science. There is not much research studying cheat days; however, there are variations to study intermittent overfeeding and refeeding strategies.

1. Short Term Overfeeding and Metabolic Rate

According to some short-term studies, temporary overfeeding, especially of carbohydrates, could slightly raise metabolic rate. For instance, one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when subjects overate for just a 24-hour period, there was an increase in energy expenditure of about 7%, though the effect was temporary and small.

2. Leptin and Hormonal Responses

It is suggested that cheat days have more effect hormonally than they do on calorie burn. Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipose cells and is very important in hunger regulation and energy balance. Thus, during prolonged energy restriction, there is a decrease in leptin levels that eventually results in increased feelings of hunger and reduced metabolism.

Carbohydrate-rich refeed days can augment leptin levels temporarily, although it has been shown that these increases may be transient and probably do not imply an important increase in TDEE.

3. Muscle Mass Preservation

Muscle mass can be preserved by strategically placing cheat meals or refeed days over a calorie deficit. It is pertinent to note, however, that during dieting, the body tends to use muscle for energy, especially when there is a high deficit. Eating more from time to time (coupled with resistance training) can help to counteract this and indirectly maintain a healthier TDEE since muscle tissue itself is metabolically active.

The Psychological Benefits of Cheat Days

One of the most undeniable psychological benefits is, actually, cheat days exist to break the monotony of restrictive dieting. Such a course is very exhausting mentally. Knowing about the impending break may curb deprivation feelings, enhance power, and facilitate adherence over the long haul.

That said, if not approached intelligently, cheat days can backfire miserably. Bingeing-like behaviors, feeling guilty, and resulting in some toxic cycles of restriction followed by overindulgence. For some, it would simply be better to moderate this with a planned refeed or cheat meal rather than an unrestricted eating day.

Do Cheat Days Reset TDEE?

In short, the answer is no, at least, not in the way people believe.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is not a number that you can restart like a smartphone. Instead, it changes constantly as a result of many factors such as changes in body weight, activity level, and hormone levels. While a cheat day can offer a temporary upsurge in metabolic activity due to heightened thermogenesis, especially if loaded with carbs, it cannot long-term "reset" the TDEE.

However, strategic breaks during dieting, such as diet breaks or structured refeed days, might help to mitigate some of this metabolic slowing associated with extended periods in a caloric deficit. In short, TDEE would be slightly saved and not further dropped, but it won't be brought back instantly.

The Difference Between Cheat Days and Refeeds

A cheat day is often unstructured and can include the consumption of an exaggerated amount of fat, sugar, and calories. A refeed is normally planned for a day with somewhat higher carbohydrate intake, with fat kept at a moderate level. Refeed days are often discussed within the bodybuilding and fitness community as controlled ways to increase caloric intake and leptin levels.

These days address the macronutrients that are most directly involved in increasing leptin levels and the storage of glycogen during refeed days: carbohydrates.

Elation may start to feel short-lived with the random cheat days, then, only to work against the caloric deficit of an entire week when unstructured.

Should They Even Use Cheat Days?

If you are doing a diet for fat loss, having the occasional cheat meal or refeed day can help, if done intentionally.

• Temporarily increases energy and performance.
• Facilitates adherence to long-term goals.

The assumption that you can rely on cheat days for 'resetting' your metabolism is mostly a myth. TDEE is not something that comes back to life with just one high-calorie day. Long-term changes in metabolism are more sustainably influenced by the composition of the body (increased muscle mass), constant activity levels, and balanced nutrition.

Final Thoughts

Cheat days may not help to reset TDEE; however, they could fit into the overall strategy for a balanced diet. Their strength lies in psychology and sustainability, not in radically changing your metabolism. If you're trying to maintain or even increase your metabolic rate while dieting, here are the best chances:

• Regular strength training
• Eating enough protein
• Including structured refeeds
• Avoiding excessive, prolonged calorie deficits