Energy costs

Energy expenditure: what is it and why is it important for our body?

Every day our body spends a certain amount of energy to perform various functions, such as breathing, blood circulation, digestion, muscle work, etc. The body's energy expenditure over a certain period of time or to perform a certain amount of work is called energy expenditure.

Energy expenditure is expressed in calories or joules and depends on many factors, such as age, gender, weight, physical activity, health status, etc. For example, a person with high physical activity requires more energy than a person leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Regular consumption of food also affects the body's energy expenditure. After eating food, the body begins to process and absorb nutrients, which requires additional energy. This process is called the thermic effect of food and accounts for approximately 10% of total energy expenditure.

Knowing your energy expenditure can be useful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you want to lose weight or maintain your weight at a certain level, then you need to control the number of calories you consume and compare them with the energy expenditure of your body. If the number of calories consumed is more than the number of calories expended, then you gain weight, and if less, then you lose.

In addition, knowing your energy expenditure can help you choose optimal physical activity. If you know how much energy your body uses during the day, then you can choose exercises that will help you achieve your goal. For example, if you want to burn extra calories, then you should choose exercises that consume more energy, such as running or exercising on a machine.

Overall, energy expenditure is an important aspect of our lives that needs to be taken into account when maintaining health and fitness. Knowing your energy expenditure and the ability to control it will help you achieve the desired results and maintain health for many years.

Energy expenditure: impact on health and athletic performance

Energy expenditure is the energy consumption by the human body over a certain period of time (minute, hour, day, etc.) or when performing a certain job. According to the law of conservation of energy, the entire used reserve must appear somewhere, that is, go through the stages of transformation from one form to another. Therefore, there are two main sources of energy resources - proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Each material has its own maximum energy value. Carbohydrates can serve as the main source of energy, as they produce approximately 4 times more energy (approximately 450 kcal/100 g) than fats (130 kcal) or proteins (105 kcal), which have a slower metabolism. If they could be absorbed by the body only from carbohydrates, then their energy potential would be limited, and when converted into carbohydrates, the body would expend additional energy. The ratio of carbohydrate, fat and protein components in a healthy person’s food should be 57:30:13.

An important condition for the efficient use of energy reserves is rational nutrition - the correct ratio of different types of foods. The largest amount of carbohydrates should be obtained from food, and fats should be significantly limited. In this regard, 60% of the daily calorie intake should be carbohydrates, mainly starch and sugars (i.e. simple carbohydrates) - 1.3 g per 1 kg of weight.

The use of carbohydrates as the main energy is possible only with their sufficient concentration - up to 9% glycogen, because after this level is exceeded, the rate of plasma glucose phosphate oxidation decreases. Glycogen stores become depleted over time, limiting the athlete's ability to perform for long periods of time. However, when carbohydrates are consumed, the decrease in glucose concentration occurs slowly, so large amounts of carbohydrates can be used during marathon competitions. Glycogen is usually found in muscles, but can also be stored in the liver and as