Lesson 2: Energy Expenditure

Introduction
In this lesson students explore the energy expenditure of various levels of physical activity
(from resting metabolism to vigorous activity) and the potential impact of physical
activity on energy balance and healthy weight.

The human body is meant to move. The muscles, bones, heart, and brain improve through
regular activities of daily living and exercise. Lack of regular physical activity puts our
health at risk.

Decreased physical activity, coupled with an over-consumption of calories, allows the

efficient human body to store surplus energy as fat. Any food intake that results in an
excess of calories relative to how much the body burns off during the day through
physical activity is stored as fat, whether it comes from carbohydrates, fats, or proteins.

Canada is facing an obesity epidemic. Overweight and obese populations in Canada are at
increased risk for a variety of chronic health problems, and we are now beginning to see
diseases that are found in adults appearing in children as well. Canadians can expect to
see increasingly younger people suffering from heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and
joint damage. A 2007 report by Canada’s Standing Committee on Health states that
“today’s children will be the first generation for some time to have poorer health
outcomes and a shorter life expectancy than their parents” (Healthy Weights for Healthy
Kids 1).

REFERENCE
For additional information, refer to the following report:
Canada. House of Commons. Standing Committee on Health. Healthy Weights for Healthy
Kids: Report of the Standing Committee on Health. Ottawa, ON: Standing Committee on
Health, 2007. Available online at
<http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/committee/391/hesa/reports/rp2795145/hesarp07
/05_Report-e.htm#part1> and on the National Library of Canada Electronic Collection
website at <http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/hoc_cttee_reports-
ef/health/healthy_weights-ef/hesarp07-e.pdf>.
For website updates, please visit Websites to Support the Grades 11 and 12 Curriculum at
<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.

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 Specific Learning Outcomes

12.NU.3 Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the energy spent in

physical activity and healthy weight.
12.NU.4 Demonstrate the ability to estimate daily energy expenditure by analyzing
personal physical activity participation.
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Key Understandings

 The body requires energy for various life-sustaining functions and activities of daily
living.
 Regular physical activity increases the amount of energy spent each day.
 More energy is expended with vigorous activity than with low- and moderate-
intensity activity.
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Essential Questions

1. In what ways are calories spent?

2. What impact does the intensity of physical activity have on energy expenditure?
3. What role does physical activity play in energy balance and healthy weight?
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Background Information

Energy

When we consume plant and animal products, the carbohydrates, fats, and protein
(energy-containing macronutrients) are broken down during digestion, releasing energy
and nutrients. Some of the energy from these foods is used immediately for various body
functions, and some is stored as energy to be used at a later time.

The chemical energy provided by food is ultimately transformed into mechanical energy.
Mechanical energy is the capacity to do work (e.g., muscle contraction). As the intensity of
work increases, energy requirements also increase. For example, if we exercise at low
intensity for 10 minutes, the amount of energy expended will be far less than if we
exercise at high intensity for 10 minutes. The use of energy during work is referred to as
energy expenditure (EE).

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132  G r a d e 1 2 A c t i v e H e a l t h y L i f e s t y l e s
 No energy is lost during the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy. For
example, the chemical energy of carbohydrates and fats is converted into mechanical
energy and heat energy. This process of converting food energy into mechanical work
goes on continuously, maintaining the body’s life-sustaining processes and keeping body
temperature at 37°C. When we exercise, we use the energy in food to make the muscles
contract, including the heart, and this requires energy. But since we are not perfectly
efficient in converting energy into work, we also create heat. Muscle contraction during
exercise increases our body temperature, which often makes us sweat to keep from over-
heating. During exercise, the energy demands of the body increase dramatically, often
resulting in significant increases in body temperature.

Energy (Calories)
NOTE TO TEACHER
While it is important to be familiar with The measure of the energy value in food and
calories, it is essential that students physical activity is expressed in several forms:
understand the concept of energy kilocalorie (kcal) or Calorie (equal to 1000
consumed in food, energy spent being calories).
active, and the balance between the two. 1 kcal = 1 Calorie = 1000 calories
In discussing energy value in food, it is
Energy is measured in units called calories. uncommon to use calories (with a lower case c);
Most of the food we eat contains energy, most references to a specific number of calories
actually refer to Calories.
and everything we do (even sleeping)
The measure of the energy value contained on
requires energy, resulting in caloric
the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels is
expenditure. expressed in Calories. In fact, Calories must be
listed on the Nutrition Facts panel, as shown in
The eating patterns described for males the following example.
and females of various ages in Canada’s
Food Guide are designed to meet the energy
requirements, as well as nutrient needs, of
most consumers. This means that
individuals who follow the recommended
eating patterns will consume an amount of
energy that supports healthy weight, even This food item
if they are relatively inactive. Maintaining contains
110 Calories
healthy body weight means, in general, in 1 cup or
that the energy consumed through food is 34 g serving.

approximately equal to the amount of

energy expended. More active individuals
should consume more Food Guide
Servings to meet increased energy needs. Caution
Avoid focusing on calorie counting. Ensure that
students understand that the eating patterns
outlined in Canada’s Food Guide and the “foods
__________ to limit” are designed to support healthy weight.
* Source: Health Canada. “Interactive Nutrition Label
and Quiz.” Food and Nutrition. 29 Mar. 2006.
<www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/cons/quiz1-eng.php>.

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 Energy balance refers to the relationship between energy in (food consumption) and energy
out (physical activity).
 Positive balance refers to a situation where energy intake from food exceeds energy
expenditure from activity (fat gain).
 Negative balance refers to a situation where energy expenditure from physical activity
exceeds food intake (fat loss).

In the best scenario, we are able to expend lots of energy from physical activity, and then
have to eat sufficient food to balance the energy output. Restricting our food intake when
we have low physical activity levels is not a healthy lifestyle.

Storing Fat as Energy

Historically, the body’s ability to store energy as fat was extremely useful. Our cave-
dwelling ancestors may have spent several days stalking a meal before actually eating it.
The energy they stored from consuming the catch of the last hunt was important to
sustain them until their next meal.

Fat stores are still important today, as they help us to

 maintain body temperature
 build and maintain body tissue and cells
 protect internal organs
 fuel muscle movement

In our society, however, it is easy to over-consume food and store an excess of energy. In
addition, we have systematically reduced physical activity in our daily lives through all
the conveniences available to us (e.g., remote controls, elevators and escalators, cars to
travel even short distances). This remarkable decrease in daily physical activity is a key
factor in the obesity epidemic. An excess of stored energy (body fat), particularly around
the abdomen, is associated with increased risk of many diseases.

Energy Expenditure
The human body spends energy for many different purposes, such as life-sustaining
metabolic functions, digestion, and physical activity. Regardless of the purpose for which
the body spends energy, the energy expenditure will fall within one of the following three
categories:
 basal or resting metabolic rate (BMR or RMR)
 thermic effect of food (TEF)
 energy expenditure of activity (EEA)
Overall Energy Expenditure = RMR + TEF + EEA
A detailed description of each of these categories follows.

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134  G r a d e 1 2 A c t i v e H e a l t h y L i f e s t y l e s
 Basal or Resting Metabolic Rate

Basal or resting metabolic rate (BMR or RMR) is the amount of energy per minute the body
uses to maintain a quiet resting state. This is approximately 1 Cal per minute. Over the
course of the day (and night), a person will expend a substantial amount of calories just to
maintain the body (1440 minutes in a day x 1 Cal/min = 1440 Cal per day). Approximately
60% to 75% of the energy used every day is needed to maintain the essential body
functions that sustain life. These functions include nervous system activity, breathing,
heart function, maintenance of body temperature (thermoregulation), and hormone
activity.

BMR and RMR measurements are taken under different conditions:

 BMR measurements are typically taken in a darkened room upon waking after 8
hours of sleep and 12 hours of fasting (to ensure that the digestive system is inactive),
with the subject resting in a reclining position.
 RMR measurements are typically taken under less restricted conditions than BMR
measurements, and do not require the subject to spend the night sleeping in the test
facility prior to measurement. As a result, RMR has become the more popular
measure, and BMR is not often measured anymore.

Factors Affecting BMR/RMR

BMR/RMR, primarily related to lean tissue/fat-free mass, is influenced by a number of factors
working in combination, including the following:
 Age: Metabolism slows with age (2% to 3% per decade after 30 years of age), primarily due to
a loss in muscle tissue due to inactivity, but also due to hormonal and neurological changes.
 Gender: Generally, men have a faster metabolism than women because they tend to be larger
and have more muscle tissue.
 Body size: Larger adult bodies have more metabolically active tissue, which leads to a higher
BMR/RMR.
 Body composition: Muscle tissue uses more calories than fat, even at rest.
 Genetic predisposition: Metabolic rate may be partly determined by genes.
 Growth: Infants and children have a higher BMR/RMR related to the energy needs of growth
and maintenance of body temperature.
 Hormonal and nervous controls: Hormonal imbalances can influence how quickly or how
slowly the body burns calories.
 Environmental temperature: If temperature is very low or very high, the body has to work
harder to maintain a normal temperature; this increases the BMR/RMR.
 Infection or illness: BMR/RMR increases if the body has to build new tissue or create an
immune response to fight infection.
 Crash dieting, starving, or fasting: Eating too few calories encourages the body to
conserve through a potentially significant decrease in BMR/RMR. There can also be a loss of
lean muscle tissue, which further contributes to reducing BMR/RMR.
 Physical activity: Hard-working muscles require extra energy during activity. Regular exercise
increases muscle mass, which increases energy consumption, even at rest.
 Stimulants: Use of stimulants (e.g., caffeine) increases energy expenditure at rest. However,
this is not a healthy way to lose weight.

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 Thermic Effect of Food

Thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy required to process the food we eat.
Approximately 10% of the calories in a meal are used to digest, metabolize, and store the
food just eaten. The energy expenditure is directly related to the size of the meal and the
food composition (i.e., the amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrate). Energy is also used
for storing carbohydrates and fat as energy in body tissue.

Energy Expenditure of Activity

Energy expenditure of activity (EEA) is the amount of energy needed to fuel body movement
as it occurs in activities of daily living, including exercise. Muscle tissue consumes
approximately 20% of this energy at rest, but during vigorous exercise, the rate of energy
consumption by muscle tissue may go up 50 times or more. Physical activity can have a
dramatic impact on a person’s daily energy expenditure. During heavy physical exertion
(vigorous activity), the muscles may burn as many as 1200 Cal per hour in a very fit
individual. An unfit person may only be able to expend 200 Cal per hour. Involuntary
movements such as fidgeting and posture control (called NEAT: non-exercise activity of
thermogenesis) also contribute to EEA.

Exercise is an extremely important variable in the daily energy expenditure equation and
the maintenance of energy balance. Not only is exercise the most changeable component
during a 24-hour period, but it is also the one component that is completely under
voluntary control (for most people).

In addition to increasing caloric expenditure, exercise has many other benefits, including
building more muscle, better bones, and a better heart.

REFERENCES
For additional information, refer to the following resources:
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). ACSM’s Advanced Exercise Physiology. Ed. Charles
M. Tipton. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
---. ACSM's Metabolic Calculations Handbook. Ed. Stephen Glass and Gregory B. Dwyer.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.
---. ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Ed. Leonard A.
Kaminsky, et al. 5th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.

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136  G r a d e 1 2 A c t i v e H e a l t h y L i f e s t y l e s
 The Cost of Being Sedentary

The rising rates of obesity are due as much to reduced energy expenditure (associated
with the Canadian population’s decreasing levels of physical activity) as to over-
consumption of calories. Canadian adolescents are spending more time on computers,
playing video games, and watching television than ever before. The 2007 report of the
Standing Committee on Health states: “On average, adolescents in Canada spend almost
35 hours a week in front of a screen, representing more time than in the classroom over
the course of the year” (Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids 4). Combining classroom and
screen time does not leave much time for active living. In fact, in 8- to 18-year-olds, the
average amount of time per day spent using media is at least 6 hours and 21 minutes a
day (Rideout, Roberts, and Foehr 36). This amount of time does not include time spent
sitting in class.

Another report indicates that more than half the young people ages 5 to 17 are not active
enough for optimal growth and development (Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research
Institute). The term active enough is equivalent to an energy expenditure of at least 8
kilocalories per kilogram of body mass per day.

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Youth (Public Health Agency of Canada) recommends
that young people participate in at least 90 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous
physical activity.

It is generally accepted that moderate physical activity expends between 3.5 Cal/min and
7 Cal/min and vigorous physical activity expends over 7 Cal/min. It is important to
understand that these are approximations only. An accurate calculation of the energy
expended is dependent on the body weight of the individual. If two people completed the
same physical activity for the same duration at the same heart rate, the individual with a
higher body weight would expend more Cal/min.

Below is an example of approximately how much energy would be expended if an

individual were to meet the minimum physical activity guidelines:

 Moderate physical activity: 60 min at 6 Cal/min = 360 Cal

 Vigorous physical activity: 30 min at 9 Cal/min = 270 Cal
With the addition of 90 minutes a day of physical activity, the total daily energy
expenditure can be increased by 630 Cal.

NOTE TO TEACHER
By following the eating patterns described in Canada’s Food Guide, individuals will meet the daily
energy (caloric) requirement for the average sedentary person. As students become more active,
they should choose (consume) the extra energy required from more Food Guide Servings.

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 REFERENCES
For additional information, refer to the following reports:
Canada. House of Commons. Standing Committee on Health. Healthy Weights for Healthy
Kids: Report of the Standing Committee on Health. Ottawa, ON: Standing Committee on
Health, 2007. Available online at
<http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/committee/391/hesa/reports/rp2795145/hesarp0
7/05_Report-e.htm#part1>.
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. “Kids Fatter, Not Active Enough.” Tips for
Being Active. 6 June 2006. <www.cflri.ca/eng/lifestyle/1997/kids_fatter.php>.
Public Health Agency of Canada. Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Youth. Ottawa, ON:
Public Health Agency of Canada, 2002. Available online at <www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-
uap/fitness/downloads.html>.
Rideout, Victoria, Donald F. Roberts, and Ulla G. Foehr. Generation M: Media in the Lives of
8–18 Year-Olds. Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, March 2005.
The full report is available online at <www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Generation-M-
Media-in-the-Lives-of-8-18-Year-olds-Report.pdf>. The executive summary is available
at <www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Executive-Summary-Generation-M-Media-in-the-
Lives-of-8-18-Year-olds.pdf>.
For website updates, please visit Websites to Support the Grades 11 and 12 Curriculum at
<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.
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Suggestions for Instruction / Assessment

Energy Expenditure of Physical Activities

Determining Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

This learning activity is designed to help students understand the large energy
expenditure associated with life-sustaining metabolic processes as a part of daily energy
expenditure. Health Canada suggests males ages 17 to 18 need between 2450 and 2900 Cal
each day. Females of the same age need between 1750 and 2100 Cal each day. These are
estimates of the combined effects of resting metabolic rate and daily living activities,
including moving around at home or school, as well as moderate exercise (Health Canada,
“Estimated Energy Requirements”).

BMR/RMR can be estimated by adding a “zero” to body weight in pounds (e.g., for an
individual weighing 140 lbs. [63.5 kg], BMR/RMR is approximately 1400 Cal).

BMR/RMR can also be calculated by using the

following equations (Livingston and Kohlstadt): NOTE TO TEACHER
RMR (Female) = 248 x m(0.4356) – (5.09 x a)  Remember to use the order of
operations where exponents are
RMR (Male) = 293 x m(0.4330) – (5.92 x a) dealt with before multiplication.
 Where: m = body mass in kg; a = age in years.  In performing the calculations,
m is to the power of 0.4356 for
 This equation will yield the number of Calories women, or 0.4330 for men, and
required for a 24-hour period. NOT multiplied by.

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138  G r a d e 1 2 A c t i v e H e a l t h y L i f e s t y l e s
 Have students calculate female and male RMRs using RM 4–NU.

Refer to RM 4–NU: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) Calculator

(Excel spreadsheet).

The Excel spreadsheet is available on the CD-ROM version of this document, as well as
online at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.

Simple Example
(17-Year-Old Female at 56 kg)
Energy Expenditure Energy Intake
The body spends energy on various types of activity. The food we eat is important to supply nutrients and energy for health and to
“Activity” includes the movement we choose to do, as fuel activity. The more active we are, the more energy we spend each day. For
well as energy required to stay alive (e.g., metabolic example, the number of Calories needed to maintain energy balance for a 17-
activity such as heart beat, breathing, and maintaining year-old female is between 1750 Cal (sedentary individual) and 2400 Cal
body temperature). Estimated energy requirements (with 60 minutes of moderate daily activity).
are based on age, gender, and body weight.
Resting Metabolic Rate (17-Year-Old Female) Energy Intake to Meet Energy Food Guide Servings
Expenditure
Energy Required to Sustain Life Vegetables and Fruit = 6
Energy is required for breathing, nervous system Breakfast banana (large) 2
activity, maintaining body temperature, heart function, ½ plain bagel with apple (small) 1
and hormone activity. 1 tbsp peanut butter 195 Cal tomato sauce 1
(0.4356) 1 large banana 105 Cal salad 1
248 x m – (5.09 x a), 56 kg, 17 years old 1 cup milk (1%) 100 Cal cantaloupe 1
Energy Required to Sustain Life (per day) = 1350 Cal
400 Cal
+ Grain Products =6
Lunch bagel 1
Energy Required for Activities of Daily Living 1 slice pepperoni pizza 290 Cal pizza crust 1
Energy is required for daily activities, such as brushing 1 cup chocolate milk (1%) 160 Cal granola bar 1
teeth and hair, eating, sitting in class, sitting at a 1 granola bar (26 g) 110 Cal spaghetti 3
computer, texting, and so on. 1 small apple 47 Cal
607 Cal Milk and Alternatives = 4
Activities of Daily Living = Approximately 400 Cal milk (3 cups) 3
Dinner yogurt 1
+
2 cups spaghetti with meatballs
Active Living and tomato sauce 520 Cal Meat and Alternatives = 2
200 g garden salad with peanut butter ½
Walking Time 1 tbsp oil and vinegar dressing 109 Cal
5 min walk to school pepperoni ½
1 cup milk (1%) 100 Cal meatballs 1
5 min walk back from school ¼ cantaloupe 48 Cal
3 min of walking (4 classroom changes with
walk between classes) 777 Cal
15 min walk at lunch Total 1784 Cal
Walking Time = 28 min x 3 Cal/min = 86 Cal Foods to Limit =3
Snacks popcorn
Running Time 175 g cherry yogurt chocolate chip cookie
20 min run on treadmill at home (175 g = some small containers) 100 Cal granola bar
Running Time = 20 min x 11.5 Cal/min = 230 Cal 1 chocolate chip cookie 138 Cal
16.8 g (3 cups) microwave popcorn 78 Cal
Total 316 Cal 316 Cal
Total 2100 Cal
Total Energy Expenditure = Total Energy Intake =
1350 Cal + 400 Cal + 316 Cal = 2066 Cal for the Approximately 2100 Cal per day
day as described

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 Determining the Energy Expenditure of Various Physical Activities

This learning activity is designed to help students understand the relationship between
the intensity of a physical activity and the corresponding energy required to perform that
activity. Each student will need to know his or her body weight.

Directions/Description
 Students identify several activities from their physical activity plan (or other
comparable activities) and locate them in RM 5–NU, which lists physical activities in
alphabetical order, as well as by intensity.
 Where a physical activity is listed more than once, students note the different levels of
intensity and select the level that best reflects their participation.
 Students then write a journal entry comparing and contrasting energy expenditure
associated with activities at different levels of intensity.

Refer to RM 5–NU: Energy Expenditure of Physical Activities

(Excel spreadsheet).

The Excel spreadsheet is available on the CD-ROM version of this document, as well as
online at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.

Determining Relative Energy Expenditure through Daily Physical Activity Intensities

In this learning activity, students gain a greater understanding of their personal daily
energy expenditure by examining their daily physical activities and categorizing them by
intensity level.

Directions/Description
 Students first determine the amount of time they spend engaged in physical activities
in various intensity categories over a three-day period using
RM 6–NU. Daily estimates will be more accurate if students first identify the number
of hours spent sleeping (resting), and then the time spent in vigorous or moderate
activity, and finally the time spent in very light or light activity. Activity descriptions
are provided in RM 6–NU. The total time must equal 24 hours.
 Students will use the 24-hour account of activities for the culminating Final Tally
activity in Module C, Lesson 3, where they will analyze physical activity by intensity
and food consumption habits and use the information to create a daily energy balance
plan.

Refer to RM 6–NU: Determining Daily Physical Activity Intensities.

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140  G r a d e 1 2 A c t i v e H e a l t h y L i f e s t y l e s
 REFERENCES
For additional information, refer to the following websites:
CyberSoft, Inc. “Exercise Calorie Expenditures.” NutriBase.
<www.nutribase.com/exercala.htm>.
Health Canada. “Estimated Energy Requirements.” Food and Nutrition. 5 Feb. 2007.
<www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/basics-base/1 1 1-eng.php>.
Livingston, Edward H., and Ingrid Kohlstadt. “Simplified Resting Metabolic Rate-Predicting
Formulas for Normal-Sized and Obese Individuals.” Obesity Research 13.7 (July 2005):
1255-62. The BMR equation is cited online at
<http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17018417> (27 Oct. 2008).
For website updates, please visit Websites to Support the Grades 11 and 12 Curriculum at
<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/physhlth/>.

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