Since there are so many ways in which to burn calories, let's take a look at not only what a calorie
is exactly, but how to use a calorie calculator with the purpose of being able to figure out the
amount of calories burned depending on the type of physical activity performed.
What Exactly is a Calorie?
A calorie refers to the amount of heat that is required in order to raise the temperature of one
liter of water one degree. Although this may trigger memories from high school science class, making
you feel like you are entering a new world speaking in strange languages, it's really a simple
standard unit used to measure the energy your body uses throughout the day.
Know that there are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates, 4 calories per gram of protein, and 9
calories per gram of fat.
Using a Calorie Burn Calculator
Standard Metabolic Equivalent.
The standard metabolic equivalent (MET) is a unit that is utilized when wanting to find an estimate
of how much oxygen your body is using when engaging in a particular physical activity. When your
body is resting, meaning that you are sitting quietly and there is very little movement, then you
are using 1 MET of energy (oxygen). When you partake in an activity that demands more oxygen be
used, then more MET's will also be used, which means you are burning more calories.
Using a calorie calculator is one of the best and most accurate ways in which you are able to track
how many calories burned during a particular exercise. Different physical activities require
different amounts of exertion. The more exertion you expend is directly related to more calories
burned, as more oxygen is being utilized and in turn the more MET units your body will utilize.
Why it's Important.
Keeping track of the amount of calories you eat in a day is essential to your overall health, and
using a calorie calculator will help you monitor the amount of calories expended during a particular
exercise. This means that using a calorie burn calculator is a fantastic idea that will be of great
use as you begin/continue to monitor calories burned so that you are able to understand exactly what
is required in order to be/stay healthy.
