Scientific sources

The content and recommendations in Shoko are built and supervised by Felix Peleg, clinical dietitian and lecturer in nutrition and biochemistry — the professional authority behind the app.

The calculations and recommendations are based on accepted professional literature. Shoko is a nutrition tracking and coaching tool — it is not a medical service and is not a substitute for advice from a physician, clinical dietitian, or another qualified professional. Before a significant dietary change, especially with a medical background, consult a physician.

Daily calorie target

Resting energy expenditure (BMR) is calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate for the general population:

• Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals." Am J Clin Nutr. 1990. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711
• Frankenfield D, et al. "Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate." J Am Diet Assoc. 2005. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883556

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the BMR multiplied by an activity factor (1.2–1.9) based on the reported activity level:

• FAO/WHO/UNU. "Human energy requirements." 2001. fao.org — Human energy requirements

For a weight-loss goal, a moderate deficit (250–700 kcal/day) is applied, supporting gradual loss of about 0.25–1 kg per week, in line with accepted guidelines:

• CDC — "Losing Weight: Healthy Weight." cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight
• NHLBI — "Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults." 1998. nhlbi.nih.gov

The target never goes below 1,200 kcal/day — an accepted safety floor in clinical nutrition guidelines for adults.

Macronutrient split

The protein target is about 1.8 g per kg of body weight — within the recommended range (1.4–2.0 g/kg) for preserving muscle mass during a caloric deficit:

• Jäger R, et al. "International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise." JISSN. 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28642676
• Morton RW, et al. "A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training–induced gains." Br J Sports Med. 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222

The fat target is set at 25% of calories — within the recommended AMDR range (20–35%):

• Institute of Medicine. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids." 2005. nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10490

Remaining calories are allocated to carbohydrates (4 kcal per gram; protein 4, fat 9 — Atwater factors).

Body-fat estimate

The displayed body-fat percentage is an estimate only, computed with a linear formula from body circumference measurements (an anthropometric method). Circumference-based estimation methods are accepted in the literature as an accessible tool, but their accuracy is limited compared to laboratory measurement. Background on methods of this kind:

• Hodgdon JA, Beckett MB. "Prediction of percent body fat for U.S. Navy men/women from body circumferences and height." Naval Health Research Center. 1984. apps.dtic.mil (ADA143890)
• Classification ranges are based on American Council on Exercise (ACE) tables. acefitness.org — Percent Body Fat

Nutritional values of foods

Nutritional values in the food database are based on the Israeli Ministry of Health food-composition database, plus computed values for recipes:

• Israeli Ministry of Health — Israeli food-composition database. gov.il — food composition

Questions about personalizing your targets? You can contact the Shoko team from within the app.