Calories burned running

marie_2454

2 questions:
1. Should I eat a little bit more on days I do longer runs?
2. Is 630 calories burned a pretty close estimation for my run today?

Right now I'm not eating my exercise calories back; I'm just eating 1,550 calories a day. I ran 5.15 miles today (yay me!) and I'm thinking that on days I run more I should probably eat a bit more. Anyways, according to my ipod nike plus app I burned 629 calories (5.15 miles in 49:45 minutes- outside in a semi hilly terain). This seems pretty high to me, so I went online and used 11 different calculators to figure out my burn. I've got a range from 535-696 calories burned, so maybe my ipod is close? Anyways, I'm super new to running; I just started earlier this month and only recently have been going more than 1.5 miles. Oh, I'm also 23, 5'9, and 159 pounds.

Car0lynnM

I use a heart rate monitor, and it was 100 calories different from Nike+ running app after my run. If you want a more accurate calorie burn count, get a HRM. It knows exactly how hard you're working.

sevsmom

You have to feed the machine if you want to build any success at running. You can't run well and deprive yourself. Eat a few extra healthy snacks. . .fruit, veggies, whatever trips your trigger.

As for calories burned, that's a hard call. . .it depends on your height/weight and cardiovascular endurance. A MFP friend and I (an ocean apart) ran 85(ish) min at the same 6.7 mph pace yesterday (a bit over 9 miles). . .he burned almost 1400 calories and I got a mere 900. I'm guessing I'm a bit shorter and lighter than he is. No fair!! In any event, if you need to know exact numbers (well, more precise numbers) invest in a heart rate monitor. They aren't perfect, but they'll give you a better idea.

Hope any of that helps!

scottb81

629 Calories looks about right. Eat some or most of that 629 and you will recover better than if you deprive yourself too much.

Cool_beanz

As a handy rule of thumb, you burn c.100 cals per mile. This will increase if you push yourself to your limits and reduce a little if you are just trundling around. It's hard to work out exactly what you have burned as there are so many things that can influence it.

I have a Garmin Forerunner watch which tells me my calories and I always cross check it with my own 100 cals per mile calculation. If I have run harder I expect my watch to higher and if Ive taken it easy I expect it to be less and that's usually what happens.

As for eating more. If I'm running 6 miles or less, I don't really eat that much more although I may have an extra snack like a banana or a couple of jaffa cakes an hour before I run. I tend to do my longer runs in the morning so if i'm going out for more than 6m I will have a bigger breakfast (an extra Weetabix, a bit more porridge or a banana chopped on my usual cereal). For much longer runs of 12 miles plus, I have the same big breakfast as above but will also have a bigger lunch when I get back. I might even chuck in a piece of carrot cake - what the heck, Ive earned it right?!

marie_2454

Thanks everyone! I'm going to start eating at least some of my calories back on days I run 5+ miles.