To always stay alert and energetic, a person needs fuel. This, of course, is about food, not gasoline or coal. It should be noted that in this case, more does not always mean better, and there is even a daily calorie allowance for men and women.
What is a calorie?
In physics, the word "calorie" is understood as a unit of heat. In other words, it is a measure of how much energy one body can transfer to another. In the case of food, everything is very similar - any product has a certain composition and its corresponding energy value. The ratio will look like this: 1 gram of protein and carbohydrates corresponds to 4 calories, and one gram of fat corresponds to 9 calories.
Modern Homo sapiens don't need to chase their prey to get enough. Most people, on the contrary, work in a "sedentary" position, lead a sedentary lifestyle, and buy groceries in a supermarket, which is within walking distance from home. That is why problems withhe alth, associated with excess weight, today come to the fore, and if we continue to speak figuratively, the question of how much fuel you need to refuel has become one of the most pressing.
Normal daily calories
For men and women, the amount of energy that should come from food is somewhat different. This is primarily due to physiological characteristics. Men, who have always acted as a hunter-producer, tend to have more muscle mass, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain it.
In addition, the number of calories that a person can absorb depends on his age and genetic predisposition to be overweight or thin (the so-called "somatotype"). An important factor for determining the optimal ratio of energy received from food and necessary for life is the lifestyle of the individual. If physical activity takes place during the day, then the metabolism spins up, and the body needs much more energy.
Calculate the daily calorie intake for a particular individual is quite difficult, but there are so-called "average" values. They meet the needs of most people, and it is worth focusing on these numbers.
So, according to numerous scientific studies, the daily calorie intake for men should be at the level of:
- 2000-2400 calories per day with a sedentary lifestyle;
- 2400-2600 calories per day with a moderately active lifestyle;
- 2600-3200 calories per day with an active lifestyle.
For women, these figures will be respectively:
- 1600-1800 calories;
- 1800-2200 calories;
- 2200-2500 calories.
Proper ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates
After the daily calorie allowance for men and women was established, nutritionists noticed that some people who strictly adhered to it still gained weight or felt sick. In fact, this is not surprising. After all, each nutrient, be it proteins, fats or carbohydrates, has certain functions. So, the main function of fats is to provide nutrient reserves, carbohydrates - to provide the body with energy, proteins - to produce enzymes, hormones and build new cells.
That is why not only the daily calorie intake for men and women should be taken into account, but also the qualitative composition of the food consumed. In the diet, it is desirable to adhere to the following ratio: 10-15% proteins, 25-30% fats, the rest should be carbohydrates. At the same time, depending on what goal is set (weight loss or, conversely, weight gain), you can change the amount of consumed components.
