How Many Calories do You Burn Running?

One of the questions that I get the most when I start coaching a new runner, especially someone who is training for the marathon, is how much more should they eat to supplement their increased calorie expenditure from running.

Or, more simply, how many calories are they burning while running. It’s a good question, and the answer isn’t as complicated as one might think when given the right tools.

Here’s the deal:

I’ve created a simple online calorie counter for runners that will allow you to estimate the number of total calories burned per day, both from running and your basic caloric needs to perform your normal daily functions, like breathing, eating, and generally getting around, which is often called you basal metabolism.

All you need to do is enter your weight, the total amount of time you ran, and the average pace at which you ran. Viola, you now have an instant calculation of the total number of calories you need to consume throughout the day.

It get’s better:

I included the ideal number of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that should make up the bulk of these calories.

While I’ve done my best to make determining how much you need to eat throughout the day easy and simple, I want to make sure that you understand basics behind the calculator.

It’s my theory that runners are more successful in training plans and with training information in general when they are able to understand why the principles behind their training.

The first number generated for you, “Calories burned without running” is the amount of calories you burn by just performing daily functions.

Simply speaking, this is the amount of calories you would need to eat to maintain your current weight and energy levels when doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and a slight bit of walking around.

The second number generated for you is the neat number, which is the number of calories you burned on during the run. By taking into account your weight, distance, and pace, we you can get an accurate measurement of the total calories you’ve burned.

The usefulness of this calculator lies in the third number, the “total calories burned for the day”. This number is the total number of calories, running plus daily activities that you’ve burned.

So, for you to maintain proper energy and recovery levels, you need to eat at least this many calories, if not more. Likewise, if you are looking to lose weight, you need eat less than this number of calories.

In addition, I’ve included the number for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you should target for consumption. Typically, calculators display this number as a percentage, but providing a number in grams, which is how it will be displayed on any nutrition label.