Congratulations on finishing a 5K or planning to in the near future. However, be warned that celebrating your achievement by refueling with a delicious pastry or slogging back a whipped cream-topped double latte coffee drink will not be offset by the calories burned during the race---most people will only burn off between 300 and 400 calories during a 5K. To calculate the number of calories expended during a 5K race there are primarily two major factors to consider---size and speed.
Considerations
The amount of calories a person uses during exercise is dependent on the intensity (speed in running) of the exercise and the individual's body mass. The old rule of thumb is that one mile of running equals 100 calories burned. However, this is like comparing grapes to grapefruit; petite people just physically can't expend the same amount of calories in the same amount of time as a larger person. For example, based on data from the U.S. Army, a 100-pound person running for one hour at 5 mph would burn just 384 calories, while a 200-pound person would burn 768. Running faster also burns more calories. A 150-pound person running for one hour at 5 mpg burns 576 calories, yet at 10 mph burns 900 calories; twice as fast, but not twice the calorie burn.
Weight / Mile Formula for Running Calorie Burn
The University of Indiana lists a simple formula for determining how many calories are burned based on body weight for each mile run. This formula is based on running 5 miles per hour (a 12-minute mile); remember running faster will increase your calorie burn.
Formula: 0.73 x weight = calories burned per mile x 3.1 = calories burned in 5K
Example: 0.73 x 150 =110 calories per mile
110 calories x 3.1 miles = 341 calories
Speed / Weight / Time Formula for Running Calorie Burn
The Army Fitness Manuals also list formulas for calculating calories burned based on body weight. Instead of being measured by mile, the result is measured by minute. So to calculate your 5K calorie burn, determine your approximate speed and record your total finish time and plug them into the formula.
Running at 5 mph burns .064 calories per minute per pound of body weight
Running at 6 mpg burns .079 calories per minute per pound of body weight
Running at 10 mph burns .10 calories per minute per pound of body weight
Running at 12 mph burns .13 calories per minute per pound of body weight
Example for 5 MPH: 0.064 x 150 pounds x 37.2* = 357 calories burned in 5K
*At 5 mph, it will take 37.2 minutes to run a 5K.
Caveats to Calorie-Burn Formulas
You will notice that the two examples were fairly close based on the same speed, weight and distance---only a 16-calorie difference. However, there are several caveats to these formulas for burning calories that can affect the end result. Many environmental conditions can increase or decrease calorie burn while running, including temperature extremes, varied terrain and windy conditions. Additionally, the level of your fitness can affect your calorie-burning ability. According to Brian Mac, a British track and field coach, research shows that highly conditioned athletes will burn fewer calories than a less fit person of identical size for the same exact workout. The rationale is that the trained runners perform at a lower percentage of aerobic capacity than the untrained person and therefore require less calories to support their oxygen uptake.
Incorporating Formulas into Diet Plan
These formulas can be used to keep track of how many calories you burn running in both 5K races and everyday training. By keeping tallies in a log, you can add your weekly totals to see if you have burned off enough calories to lose a whole pound -- 3,500 calories. This represents approximately ten 5Ks for the average person! But the good news is that a chocolate éclair (sized five inches by two inches) has only 262 calories, leaving you wiggle room to put cream in your coffee.
References
- "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running," Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise; Cameron et al; Dec. 2004
- University of Indiana
- U.S. Army Fitness Manuals
- BrianMac Sports Coach - Energy Expenditures
- The Calorie Counter
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