NUTRITION AND SPORTS. ENERGY
ENERGY
The amount of energy spent during physical exercise depends on the intensity and duration of such activity, and on individual characteristics (sex, height, weight) and level of training.
Most energy expenditure during physical activity occurs at the initiation of the muscle contraction rather than through maintenance of such contraction. This is why activities requiring repeated muscle contraction (such as swimming, running or rowing) use up more energy than activities in which the contraction is more sustained (such as golf or gymnastics).
The energy expenditure also depends on the degree of conditioning of the individual, with the more trained sportsmen spending more energy than those that are not as trained. Thus, some sportsmen may spend during the event more than 4000/6000 Kcal/day. There are formulas and charts that predict, depending on the physical condition of the individual (oxygen consumption) and the heart rate, the calorie expenditure per minute.