  In this paper, we present the consistent evolution of short-period exoplanets
coupling the tidal and gravothermal evolution of the planet. Contrarily to
previous similar studies, our calculations are based on the complete tidal
evolution equations of the Hut model, valid at any order in eccentricity,
obliquity and spin. We demonstrate, both analytically and numerically, that,
except if the system was formed with a nearly circular orbit (e<0.2), solving
consistently the complete tidal equations is mandatory to derive correct tidal
evolution histories. We show that calculations based on tidal models truncated
at second order in eccentricity, as done in all previous studies, lead to
erroneous tidal evolutions. As a consequence, tidal energy dissipation rates
are severely underestimated in all these calculations and the characteristic
timescales for the various orbital parameters evolutions can be wrong by up to
three orders in magnitude.
  Based on these complete, consistent calculations, we revisit the viability of
the tidal heating hypothesis to explain the anomalously large radius of
transiting giant planets. We show that, even though tidal dissipation does
provide a substantial contribution to the planet's heat budget and can explain
some of the moderately bloated hot-Jupiters, this mechanism can not explain
alone the properties of the most inflated objects, including HD 209458b.
Indeed, solving the complete tidal equations shows that enhanced tidal
dissipation and thus orbit circularization occur too early during the planet's
evolution to provide enough extra energy at the present epoch. In that case
another mechanisms, such as stellar irradiation induced surface winds
dissipating in the planet's tidal bulges, or inefficient convection in the
planet's interior must be invoked, together with tidal dissipation, to provide
all the pieces of the abnormally large exoplanet puzzle.
