 |
 | health information | health living | lifestyle | exercise
Calories and the athlete
How many calories do we need each day?
The Department of Health recommends that men should take in around 2,550 kcalories per day and women around 1,940 kcalories per day.1 These are averages and some people will need more and some people will need less - it depends on how active you are. Really, the best rule of thumb is that your calorie intake should be just enough to maintain a healthy body weight (see Weight management for the athlete), no matter how active or inactive your life is.
Why do we gain or lose weight?
The only thing that influences whether we gain, lose or maintain weight is the number of calories we take in compared with the number of calories our bodies use up. This is just as true for the athlete as it is for everyone else.
Calories taken in |
Calories used up |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How are the calories used?
Even when we aren't exercising, we require energy just to maintain our bodies and their vital functions. Without energy our bodies would cease to function.
The table below shows the energy usage of a sedentary person with a low level of physical activity:
Function |
% Energy Used |
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - energy used to fuel essential activities such as breathing, organ and cellular function during rest or while asleep |
|
Thermogenesis - energy used to digest and metabolise food and maintain body temperatures |
|
Physical activity - energy used for movement, for example walking, running, lifting and pulling |
|
Energy balance
Not only is it important to make sure that you are eating just enough calories to keep your weight healthy, but it is also important to make sure that you get the energy from the right sources. The foods and drinks we take in supply energy from four main sources.
Food source |
Calories per gram |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alcohol (for some people) |
|
For the body to work at its peak you should try to have the right foods and drinks. For your diet and calorie intake to be balanced you should aim for:
Food source |
Contribution to daily calorie intake |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For people who do not drink alcohol the percentage calorie intake from carbohydrate should be increased.1
And for athletes, experts recommend that you should increase your energy contribution from carbohydrates to roughly 60 percent and decrease your intake of fat by the corresponding amount.2
Key points |
- Aim to keep your body weight within its healthy range
- Weight loss, gain or maintenance depends on the number of calories taken in compared with the number of calories used up
- Calorie intake should not come from just one energy source but from a range of sources and foods
- The balance between carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol taken in is important in helping the body to work at its peak.
|
References
- Department of Health (1991). Dietary Reference Values for Food, Energy and Nutrients in the UK. London: HMSO.
- Williams C, Devlin J T (eds) (1992). Foods, Nutrition and Performance: An International Scientific Consensus. (London: Chapman and Hall).
|
|
|
