What are Calories ?

We often come across the word " Calorie" . So what is a Calorie ?  To keep track of the body's energy requirement , we use a unit called Calorie . It is the potential energy that is stored in food and is provided to the body when chemical bonds are broken down . In simple words, it is measurement of energy required for your body.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Calorie AND calorie

Generally the words Calorie and calorie are somehow different . The word Calorie with capital C and the word calorie with small c are not the same . On food products we usually see the Calorie with a capital C
                                                             1 Calorie = 1000 calories

DAILY CALORIE REQUIREMENT

Normally the calorie requirements vary according to weight , age , height and Basal metabolic activity . The average calories required for male are 2500 kcal and Women require about 2000 kcal per day . But a sportsman or laborer or anyone with great physical activity require more calories . Here you can see I used the calories with small c . If you consume more calories than your requirement then they are stored in your body as fat

Calorie in = calorie out          weight maintained
Calorie in > calorie out          weight gain
Calorie in < calorie out          weight loss  

MAJOR CALORIE SOURCES

Normally the macro nutrients provide the most calories . Fats , Carbohydrates and Proteins are the main sources of calories

1g Fat = 9 calories
1g Protein = 4 calories
1g Carbs = 4 calories

                                                    FACTORS AFFECTING CALORIE INTAKE

Calorie intake depends on three important factors , that are Basal Metabolic , Physical activity , and Thermal effect of food  . 
  • BASAL METABOLIC ACTIVITY
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) includes the normal processes required for keeping you alive , in simple words the normal processes needed to keep your heart , lungs , liver and other body parts in normal functionality . The metabolism needed for survival . Around 50-60% of calories are used in maintaining BMR

calories required for BMR =  10 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 5 x age in years + 5

  • PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 
Physical activity consumes about 30-50% of the daily calories . Higher the physical activities more the calories will be burnt . A laborer , sportsman or anyone with high physical activity requires a lot more calories than a normal person

  • THERMAL AFFECT OF FOOD 
It includes the calories that are used to break the bonds of foods to convert them into energy and it consumes about 10% of the daily calories

              Factors affecting Calories 


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