Calories: To Count or Not to Count

Nutrition and Diet are an important part of any athlete’s diet. A large part of that is how much we take in in the way of Calories. Caloric intake is a scientific way of measuring how much fuel we put into our bodies. The average American that doesn’t exercise on a regular basis should take in anywhere from 1200 to 1600 calories daily. People who exercise on a regular basis can add a couple hundred to the count, depending of the amount of energy they need. Someone who has a very active job for example, like a policeman or a telephone pole climber would probably use somewhere closer to 2000 Calories a day. That 2000 amount would also be good enough for someone who goes to the gym on a regular basis. Athletes however, will start at the 2000 level and may go up so far as 3000 or so calories daily during their training cycles when getting ready for an event. However, should we actually worry about calories to the point of actually counting them?

First, what is a calorie, and why should the amount I consume concern me?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a calorie as a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy producing value in food when oxidized in the body, and as an amount of food having an energy producing value of one large calorie.

So….that’s cleared that up tremendously. My job is done. Riiiiiight. 

Essentially, a calorie or how many calories an item of food has is measured by the amount of energy that is produced when it is digested by the body. So then foods high in calories would be good for an athlete, right?

Oh, if only it were that simple. 

There are several types of calories out there. But essentially it breaks down into two groups. Good calories and bad-or empty- calories. The first kind we find in the foods we need to consume to lead healthy lives. These include foods like fruits and vegetables, meats and dairies. The second kind come from the junk food we eat like sodas (this includes diet), candies, chips and ice creams. I would actually put most fast food in there as well, since all the grease and fat and oils that is used to cook the meat and fries tend to leach out any of the nutrients that you may have gained, and can actually hinder the absorption of nutrients that your body needs. So you feel full for a while, but what your body can actually use gets digested pretty quickly with the rest either “thrown away” or stored as fat. 

As a personal example; When I was a teenager, I could put away two #1 meals super-sized from McDonalds plus a hot fudge sundae. I had a fast metabolism from being on the city swim team, and I was active in plenty of other activities. I was actually underweight for my age and height, but hey, I ate a lot right? The problem is that eating all that junk food (probably close to 3500-5000 daily) made it so that I needed to take in twice as much food to get even close to the nutritional value I needed for my daily consumption. That big mac, extra-large fries and soft drink probably held the same amount of calories (if not more) as a well cooked meal at home. However, the nutritional value- where we get what we really need to ‘move’- was at least half of that. Today, there are healthier choices to choose from fast food restaurants. It’s a step, but it shouldn’t be a go to on a daily basis. 

That said, should you count your calories? I would say no. It’s important to watch your caloric intake, definitely, but I wouldn’t go so far as to count them. My Plate goes into some detail on calories and how to count them, but honestly, we aren’t machines. Each and every person is different. Each and every day is different. So are the foods we eat. MyPlate can show you how much in the way of calories you should take in as well as giving you guidelines on what to eat and how much. You should keep in mind that they are guidelines. Not hard and fast rules. 

However, like I said, we are not machines. Neither is the food we eat. What happens if one ear of corn gets more sun than the next? Can we truly measure the nutritional content of the individual pieces of food we eat? As far as produce is concerned, whether it be fresh, frozen or canned, the nutritional values are approximated. On average the labeling says how much we get in nutrients- and calories- from each bit of raw food. Again, it should be a guideline. 

I’ve tackled what calories are, and it’s important to keep an eye on how much you take in with regards to calories. You don’t want to take in more than you can burn, but you also don’t want to take in so little that your body is literally eating itself to stay upright. It’s all about finding that balance, and part of that is in the nutritional balance that you gain with the calories that you take in. Something that I will attack in a future post, so happy eating. 

Have Fun

CJ