How many calories are burned running
How many calories do you burn running?
Daily calorie consumption is heavily influenced by the amount of exercise performed by the subject. Each activity is characterized by a specific energy expenditure on which individual factors such as age, gender, weight, and above all muscle mass act. But how many calories are burned running? in this article, I will tell you everything you need to know, from calculating calories to the shoes you should use
Among the sports that allow you to burn more calories, running plays a very important role, both for the spontaneity of the movement you are used to since childhood and for its practicality.
At whatever level it is practiced, running allows you to burn about 0,9 Kcal per kg of body weight per kilometer. In other words, a person weighing 100 kg consumes about 90 Kcal per kilometer traveled.
The caloric consumption of walking is lower, equal to about 0.5 Kcal per kg per km.
Consumption of calories
The famous 0.9 Kcal per kg of body weight consumed every km of running, which many approximate to 1 kcal, represents only an indicative figure. In reality, this value is influenced by numerous factors, such as the slope and the type of terrain, the degree of training of the subject, the wind, and the clothing worn.
Strange to say, speed is not among all these factors; contrary to what one might think, running a thousand meters at 15 km / h, instead of 10 km / h, does not increase the energy expenditure appreciably.
The quality of training and above all the degree of efficiency of the athletic gesture on average affect the total caloric expenditure for about 5-10%. If we take the two extremes, which is a very high-level athlete and a sedentary person, this difference can reach up to 30-40%.
The type of terrain has a considerable influence on the number of calories burned running. Obviously, running on sand, snow, or simply facing the pitfalls of a cross-country run requires a higher calorie consumption than running on asphalt.
The weight of the shoes, as well as that of the wheels for a cyclist, is very important.
“Shoe insoles strongly influence the running economy. A soft sole reduces energy expenditure by 2.4% compared to shoes with a rigid insole, even if the weight of the first is 31 grams higher. Adding 100 grams to each shoe would cause a 1% increase in oxygen consumption per run at moderate speed.” Source
However, it should be remembered that in general, the lower the weight of the shoe, there is less protection from the impact of the foot with the ground. For this reason, the choice of footwear must be made about body weight and to the morphology of the foot, also considering one’s competitive level.
Running outdoors instead of on a treadmill implies a 3 to 9% higher energy cost, due to the greater resistance offered by the air. A wind blowing at 16 km / h in the opposite direction to the direction of travel increases energy expenditure by 5%, which rises to 41% if the wind blows at 65 km / h.
A wind favorable to running action, contrary to what one might think, does not rebalance the situation. The increase in energy cost by running against the wind is in fact considerably greater than the caloric savings obtained by running with the wind in favor.
Even the haircut, clothing, hair, and beard affect the total calorie consumption and, if properly cared for, allow an energy saving of about 6%.
For all these reasons, even in running races, we try to exploit the trail of the opponent to better penetrate the air and reduce effort.
Although all these variables come into play, the approximation of 1 kcal for each kg per km is, on the whole, acceptable. Furthermore, thanks to its extreme ease of calculation, this formula can provide an immediate estimate of the total energy expenditure.
Bottom line: burn fat by running
To conclude, a small reflection on those who run covered, with a girdle, k-way, etc. to sweat and consume more. Beware, the more you sweat the less fat you burn.
Let’s try to understand why.
During physical activity, the body temperature rises. To keep it within a certain range, the body begins to lose heat and sweat. To do this, subcutaneous blood circulation increases.
We thus have a conflict between the muscles that require as much blood as possible and the skin that tries to lower the temperature. The heart thus has to pump faster to please both of them. With the same work (distance traveled x weight) the respiratory quotient shifts more towards the consumption of sugars.
Practically in the gym, people run in the lipolytic belt to consume more fat but then cover up to sweat, thus burning more sugars instead.
To lose weight, therefore, it is not enough to know how many calories are burned while running but also the benefits of running, these do not only concern weight loss, but also the improvement of blood parameters and cardiovascular health. However, this is true if you don’t overdo it. Oxidative stress caused by excessive and too frequent runs does not bring real benefits because it excessively stresses the body. In short, in medio stat virtus.
