Understanding Calories
(1) A calorie, also known as kilocalorie, is a unit of energy. This unit
represents the energy required to heat a kilogram of water on degree Celsius.
While people generally link the term calorie with food, it is a unit of
measurement that can be applied to any substance possessing energy. For
instance, there are 8200 calories in a litter (about one quart) of gasoline.
(2) Calories describe the potential energy in food to maintain bodily
functions, grow or repair tissue, and perform mechanical work such as
exercise. Food calories may take the form of fat, carbohydrates, or proteins.
Once consumed, enzymes act on these nutrients through metabolic
processes and break them into their perspective categories of fatty acids,
glucose, and amino acids. These molecules travel through the blood stream
to specific cells where they are absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the
final stage of metabolism where they release their stored energy through the
process of oxidation.
(3) The number of calories burned during an exercise depends on
various factors including body weight and the type of exercise. For example,
an individual weighing 59 kilograms (130 pounds) would expend roughly 500
calories per hour swimming or playing basketball. However, this same person
would burn an estimated 200 walking or playing table tennis. In order to
survive and maintain body weight, the average individual requires
approximately 2000 to 2500 calories per day. Gaining or losing weight is a
simple process. Add and subtract 7,700 calories over the course of time to
gain or lose a kilogram. Nutrition has nothing to do with it. It is all about
calories.
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Understanding Calories on EAPP
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