The average 150-lb. woman stores 110,000 calories worth of body fat while the average 150-lb. man stores 80,000. Understanding caloric content in 1 lb. of body weight enables informed decisions about burning calories.
Factors Influencing Caloric Output
According to the book "Anatomy and Physiology" by Kenneth Saladin, caloric output is influenced by activity performed, body weight and exercise duration. People with higher body weight burn more calories per minute of activity.
Calories per Pound
You must burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. of body fat. The American Council on Exercise suggests burning 500 calories per day for a weekly weight loss of 1 lb. Burning 1,000 calories per day results in a weekly loss of 2 lbs.
Activity Examples
A 175-lb. person burns approximately 500 calories after one hour of hiking, one hour and 40 minutes of walking 3.5 mph, 45 minutes of running 5 mph or one hour and 30 minutes of cycling 5.5 mph. A 125-lb. person burns approximately 500 calories after running 6 mph for 55 minutes.
References
- "Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport"; Melvin H. Williams; 2007
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Kenneth Saladin; 2004
- American Council on Exercise, Get Fit: Trimming off the Fat
- American Council on Exercise, Get Fit: Physical Activity Calorie Calculator
Member Comments