Adult Calorie Requirement

In the contemporary times, people are becoming very calorie conscious. Well, calories are like a must for the body, as it is the calories that the human body burns in order to produce energy. But as it said that excess of anything is bad, same applies to the intake of calories too. If there is an excess of calories in our body, it gets stored in the form of fats, thus making us overweight.

Adult calorie requirement differs from that of a child and in the same ways the daily calorie requirement of an athlete would be distinct from that of a person who doesn't have a very active routine because his entire day goes away sitting in the front of computer, doing desk job. Thus, the calorie intake requirement differs from person to person, depending upon several factors like age, body composition and level of physical activity on a daily basis and many more.

The general recommendation as far as the calorie intake is concerned is that men need about 2700 calories per day and women require about 2000 calories per day. But these recommendations are suggested for average body structure adults, who perform their usual day-to-day activities and do not follow a vigorous workout.

It is suggested by dieticians that your calorie intake should be such that 50 to 60% of the total calorie intake is contributed by carbohydrates, 20% by proteins and 15 to 20% should come from fat. It is advisable for expectant mothers to consume 300 extra calories per day, whereas lactating mothers require about 550 calories at the initial level and at gradual levels, their calorie intake should be about 400 calories per day. Well, as vital are calories for the body, equally important is to burn the extra calories through an active fitness workout.