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Calorie (kcal)
Rating
A calorie (in nutrition, actually a kilocalorie, kcal) is a unit of measurement for the energy the body gets from food or spends on work, including running.
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Calorie needs (BMR + TDEE)
In detail
Energy balance (calories eaten minus calories expended) determines the change in body weight on average over long periods of time, although short-term weight fluctuations are more often related to water than to fat. Running is one of the most "expensive" activities in terms of calorie expenditure: about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per kilometer.
How to use it
Don't blindly rely on your watch's calorie counter while running — the margin of error can reach 20-30%; for an accurate estimate of expenditure, use weight, distance, and elevation gain (see the running calorie calculator).