If you exercise, you probably wondered how many calories of exercise burn your sweat session. Some running strips or other cardio machines even show the number of calories you are allegedly burned while you have worked.
But should you eat calories for exercise? It seems logical to add them to your daily calorie goal and enjoy an additional bite.
But the truth is that there is no simple answer yes or not to this burning question. Whether you eat these calories for exercise depends on several factors, including your specific goals, exercise routine and how your body feels.
“First of all, it’s always best to listen to the signs of your body,” says MyFitnesspal Ditetian Brookell White.
“Are you hungry and do you need to encourage your body? Then it is best to listen and consume these calories regardless of your goal of calories,” she says.
Hunger is tormented aside, we explore many factors that can make your decision on whether you will eat calories of exercise and how to make the best choice for your personal health and fitness goals.
This is not accurate science
Most fitness seekers and app offer an assessment of how many calories you burn during exercise, but remember: these are just estimates (1).
“Energy cost seekers are not always perfectly accurate,” White says. “So eating these calories can mean that you will eat more calories than you spend, which makes it difficult to lose or maintain weight. It is very common for people to overcome the amount of calories burned and underestimate the amount of calories they consume,” White says.
A study from Cornell University has revealed that almost everyone is misjudging calorie intake. People with normal weight tend to underestimate for about 20% (2). Some other sources suggest that the deviation could be as much as 50%! (2).
“In addition, the calories burned in exercise are not equated with the same increase in total calories of burnt days,” Nelson explains. “In other words, if you burn 100 calories by exercising, you are actually just increasing the burning of daily calories by about 70 calories (5). “
This can make it difficult to maintain a caloric deficit, which is necessary for weight loss, or to avoid eating more than your body needs to maintain.
Use Suitable tracking tools like MyFitnesspalwith A feature of voice records and Barcode scanner It can help you sign up quickly and follow meals so you can fill your weight loss goals.
About experts
Brookell White, Ms, Rdis a registered dietitian and curator of food data on MyFitnesspal. She earned her bachelor’s and masters at the San Diego State University and completed her dietary internship at Sodexo. Its focus areas include metabolism, bowel health, obesity and weight management.
Stephanie Nelson, MS, Rd is a registered dietitian and is a MyFitnesspal nutrition expert and a diet scientist. Passionate for promoting a healthy lifestyle, Stephanie graduated from San Diego State University with an emphasis on research and prevention of disease.
Factors to consider setting up your calorie goals
Several factors can help you determine if you need to eat these calories to exercise:
Weight goals
If you want to get muscles and are not focused on losing weight, it may make sense to eat calories for exercise. You may need these additional calories to repair and grow muscle (3).
If your goal is weight loss, Nelson recommends that you count the calories of exercising burned when you set up a level of activity in MyFitnesspal. This can help ensure that you eat enough as a whole. “It will increase your daily calorie goal, but not as much as a typical exercise monitoring.
Exercise intensity
If you are a marathoner or triathlon, it is different than if your typical training is a 20-minute walk.
“People who participate in an hour or more of a high -intensity of moderate to high intensity several times a week will probably need these additional calories to support the repair and growth of muscle and for the fuel of exercise,” explains White (3).
However, if you exercise less often or with less intensity, you may not need additional fuel.
Hunger level
One of the best ways to decide whether to eat calories to exercise is to listen to your body. According to White, it can be quite simple.
“Ask yourself,” Am I hungry? “If the answer is yes, then it is probably best to listen and consume and calories eating nutritional foods,” she says. Low -calorie and high protein foods like Greek yogurt can be a great choice.
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4 tips on how to decide whether to eat calories of exercise
If you are still not sure if you will eat calories of exercises, these White tips can help you make your decision:
1. Start with a hydration check
Clinical studies have shown that 37% of people make a mistake thirst for hunger (4). Before reaching for food, sign up with hydration levels. Drink a glass of water first and make sure your hunger will rise.
2. Do not get stuck at numbers
Keep in mind that fitness trackers give calorie estimates. Do not feel the pressure to eat all the calories burned during exercise if you are not hungry or your progress suggests that it is not necessary. At the same time, do not starve to reach a calorie goal.
3. Focus on high quality proteins and carbohydrates
If you decide to eat some calories of exercise, priority priority with nutrients that will help in recovery, such as lean proteins and whole grains. This helps to ensure that you get quality calories that support your fitness goals.
5. Arrange meals and snacks
If you have accumulated 500 calories for exercise, you do not have to eat them in one crowd. Instead, consider spreading them for several meals or snacks throughout the day. This can help prevent overeating and maintaining a constant energy level.
Why does MyFitnesspal add calories of exercise?
Myfitnesspal Adds calories to exercise your daily calorie goal to help you balance your energy intake with your energy costs.
As Brookell White notes, “Your goal of calories is calculated based on your weight goals, depending on whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Technical dish would be back in line.”
But this choice should always be based on your individual situation and goals, White says.
Bottom line
Ultimately, whether you need to eat the calories of exercise depends on your situation.
If you are trying to lose weight, be careful about eating them. If you are focused on muscle building or maintaining weight, eat those extra calories if you are hungry.
Either way, it is crucial to listen to your body, monitor your progress and adapt as needed.
Originally published on December 15, 2016; Updated 17. February 2025
Fast Ask the dietitian: should I eat calories for exercise? appeared first on Myfitnesspal blog.
