What is a Calorie?

Recently the question, “What is a calorie?” was posed on an early morning show. The responses inspired me to write this post.  They spanned from, “I think a calorie is based on how....what it's made up of.....I'm not really sure?” to, “Ummm, I'm not exactly sure what a calorie is, but I've always heard it's kind of bad to have a lot of calories and things like that..” Confused yet? 


A calorie is a unit of energy; more specifically, it is the amount of energy (or heat) needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water, one degree Celsius. Even more confused? You're probably not alone. The key word from the definition above is “energy”. Calories give us the energy we need to keep us alive; we need calories for our brains to function, our hearts to beat, and for our lungs to breathe.  We need calories for our daily activities: from working, to working out, and everything in between. All activities we partake in require a certain amount of energy. Strenuous activities need more calories than easier activities.  Think of calories as gasoline for our body's fuel tank.



When you read a consumable label that contains a certain amount of calories (such as 100, 200, or 300 kcals, etc.), it's describing how much potential energy your body could get from eating or drinking it. Alternatively, if you know how many carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are in any given food or drink, you can compute how many calories it contains.  For every gram: carbohydrates (CHO) contain 4.1 kcals, proteins (PRO) contain 4.3 kcals, and fats contain 9 kcals.



Example: 1 serving (½ cup) of Hood Low Fat Cottage Cheese—No Salt Added:



6g of CHO (6g × 4.1 kcals) = 24.6 kcals



14g of PRO (14g × 4.3 kcals) = 60.2 kcals



1g of Fat = (1g × 9 kcals) = 9 kcals



Total = 94 kcals



Although used synonymously, calories on labels are actually kilocalories (kcals), not calories.  This is misleading because one thousand calories = one kilocalorie.  In order to distinguish a kilocalorie on labels, a capitalized "C" in Calorie is used.  Calories are not bad; they become harmful when we eat too many of them and don't burn off enough, which leads to weight gain.  It takes a reduction of thirty-five hundred kcals to lose one pound of fat. To gain one pound of lean muscle, it takes an increase of thirty-five hundred kcals. Want to know how to maximize fat loss or lean muscle gain? Want to know how many calories you're taking in, and more importantly where they're coming from (CHO, PRO, fat)?  Contact Dan @ (978) 807-8579, or visit seachangefitness.net.

Dan Kinsella is an Exercise Physiologist, with a degree in Sports Medicine. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as a Certified Nutrition Specialist. To learn more about this article, or his personal training services, visit www.seachangefitness.net, or call (978) 807-8575, to schedule your FREE consultation!

Not All Carbs are Bad!

While anti-carbohydrate crusaders have quieted down in recent years, many people still cling on to the mistaken belief that all carbs are bad.

The glycemic index (GI) is a way to measure the effect of one carbohydrate food vs. another. Specifically, the GI measures the impact of carbs on blood sugar levels.  When carbs are consumed, they’re eventually broken down into their simplest form of glucose, which is sugar.  The rate at which a carb breaks down determines its blood sugar level.  Carbs that break down quickly will have a high GI and those that break down more slowly will have a low GI.  Carbs are necessary to fuel all daily activities, from exercising to working, and general brain function.  Depriving yourself of carbs leads the body to break down its own muscle mass for energy, and severely decrease blood sugar levels.

The chart below represents the three main categories used to classify carbohydrates.

Figure 1: The GI uses a numerical scale of 0 to 100 to measure how quickly or slowly a particular food raises blood sugar levels.  Foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar level will have a higher numerical value. As a reference point, glucose is used with a GI value of 100.

The benefit of using the GI is to regulate blood sugar levels.  When they’re kept within a normal healthy range (80-120 mg/dl), our body runs more efficiently.  If blood sugar levels dip too low, this results in feeling lethargic and/or increased feeling of hunger.  When blood sugar levels are too high as a result of excess carb intake (as well as consuming an improper balance of proteins, carbs, and fats) insulin is released.  Insulin’s job is to lower blood sugar levels, but it does this by taking excess sugars and storing them in fat cells when muscle and liver storage is at capacity.  The faster blood sugar levels increase, the greater the insulin response is in order to minimize this spike. This could lead to an excess amount of insulin being released.   The end result is greater fat storage.  Consuming protein and/or fat with meals will help to minimize the spike in blood sugar levels.

Although the GI isn’t perfect (some say the food isn’t well defined) you can’t lose sight of the goal of regulating blood sugar levels for optimal daily performance, both physically and mentally.  Learn how to maximize this for your workouts and everyday recreational activities by contacting Dan @ (978) 807-8579, or visit seachangefitness.net, to learn more.

Dan Kinsella is an Exercise Physiologist, with a degree in Sports Medicine. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as a Certified Nutrition Specialist. To learn more about this article, or his personal training services, visit www.seachangefitness.net, or call (978) 807-8579, to schedule your FREE consultation!