During exercise your body demands energy to power through workouts. The amount of calories required for workout energy differs -- factors such as age, weight and gender affect calorie needs. Additionally, certain weight goals need consideration when determining calorie amounts.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Basal Metabolic rate, or BMR, refers to the amount of calories you burn daily at sedentary levels. This is important to know in order to determine caloric needs. BMR uses height, weight and age to factor calorie amounts. To calculate your BMR, use the following formulas depending on gender:
Women: BMR = 655 + 4.35 x weight in pounds + 4.7 x height in inches - 4.7 x age
Men: BMR = 66 + 6.23 x weight in pounds + 12.7 x height in inches - 6.8 x age
Factor Activity
The Harris Benedict formula is used to determine your caloric needs with exercise included. To calculate your requirements, take BMR and multiply by the appropriate activity factor that best fits you:
Sedentary individuals: BMR x 1.2
Lightly active: BMR x 1.375
Moderately active: BMR x 1.55
Very active: BMR x 1.725
Extra active: BMR x 1.9
For example, if you have a BMR of 1800 and are identified as lightly active, you would multiply 1800 by 1.375, which would give you a caloric need of 2,475 calories. These numbers are for maintenance -- desired weight goals require either higher or lower caloric requirements.
Calories for Weight Goals
If weight loss is your goal, a deficit of calories consumed is needed. According to MayoCLinic.com, "1 lb. equals 3,500 calories." To lose a weekly weight loss of 1lb, a deficit of 500 calories is required daily to achieve. If weight gain is desired, a surplus of calories needs to occur. To gain 1lb weekly, 500 extra calories consumed is required to facilitate this goal. Exercise can assist in both of these goals with cardiovascular training to burn calories and weight training that supports the growth of lean muscle tissue for size gain.
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