Ask the nutritionist: Should I eat my exercise calories?

If you exercise, you may be wondering how many exercise calories your sweat will burn. Some treadmills or other cardio machines even show how many calories you burn while exercising.

But should you take exercise calories again? It seems logical to add them to your daily calorie goals and enjoy extra snacks.

But the truth is, there is no simple or no answer to this burning question. Whether or not you should eat those exercise calories depends on several factors, including your specific goals, exercise routines, and how your body feels.

“First of all, it’s best to listen to your body’s tips,” said MyFitnesspal Dietitian Brookell White.

“Are you hungry, do you need to cheer for your body? Then, no matter your calorie goal, it’s best to listen and burn those calories,” she said.

Apart from hunger, let’s explore many factors that can guide you on whether to eat exercise calories and how to make the best choice for your personal health and fitness goals.

This is not the exact science

Most fitness trackers and apps can estimate how many calories you burn during your workout, but remember: these are just estimates (1).

“Energy spending trackers are not always completely accurate,” White said. “So eating these calories can mean you’ll eat more calories than you consume, making it hard to lose or maintain weight. It’s very common for people to overestimate the amount of calories they burn and underestimate the amount of calories they’re consuming.” Whitet explain.

A Cornell University study found that almost everyone misjudged their calorie intake. People with normal weight tend to underestimate about 20% (2). Some other sources suggest that the difference may be as high as 50%! ((2).

“In addition, calories burned during exercise are not the same increase in total calories burned that day,” Nelson explained. “In other words, if you burn 100 calories through exercise, you’re actually just adding to your daily calories burn calories are about 70 calories (5). ”

This can make keeping calories insufficient, which is essential for weight loss or avoid eating beyond the body’s maintenance needs.

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About the Expert

Brookell Whiteis a registered dietitian and food data curator at MyFitnessPal. She received her Bachelor and Masters degree from San Diego State University and completed her dietary internship at Sodexo. Her focus areas include metabolism, gut health, obesity and weight management.

Stephanie Nelson He is a registered nutritionist and an in-house nutrition expert and nutrition scientist at MyFitnesspal. Stephanie, who is passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle, graduated from San Diego State University with a focus on preventing research and disease.

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Consider the factors that set calorie targets

Several factors can help you determine whether you should eat these exercise calories:

Weight Target

If you want to gain muscle and are not focused on losing weight, it may make sense to eat exercise calories. You may need those extra calories for muscle repair and growth (3).

If your goal is to lose weight, Nelson recommends that you burn exercise calories when setting activity levels in MyFitnessPal. It can help ensure your overall diet. “This will increase your daily calorie goals slightly, but not as much as a typical exercise tracker may increase.

Exercise intensity

If you are a marathon or triathlete, the difference from a typical workout is a 20-minute walk.

“People who participate in high-intensity exercises for an hour or more per week may need those extra calories to support muscle repair and growth and to exercise,” White explained.3).

However, if you exercise less frequently or less intensity, you may not need extra fuel.

Hunger level

One of the best ways to decide whether to eat exercise calories is to listen to your body. According to White, this may be simple.

“Ask yourself, ‘Am I hungry?’ If the answer is yes, it’s better to listen and burn those calories by eating nourishing foods,” she said. Low-calorie and high-protein foods like Greek yogurt may be a good choice.

4 Tips on How to Decide Whether to Take Exercise Calories

If you are still unsure whether you want to eat your exercise calories, these tips from White can help guide your decision:

1. Start with a hydration check

Clinical studies show that 37% of people mistakenly believe that they are hungry (4). Check the hydration level before getting the food. Have a glass of water first to see if your hunger subsides.

2. Don’t get stuck on the numbers

Remember, fitness trackers provide calorie estimates. If you are not hungry, or your progress indicates that this is unnecessary, don’t feel stressed so that all the calories burned during exercise are burning. At the same time, don’t be hungry to reach your calorie goal.

3. Focus on high-quality protein and carbohydrates

If you do decide to eat some exercise calories, identify nutritious foods that help with recovery, such as lean protein and whole grains. This helps ensure you get quality calories that support your fitness goals.

5. Spread meals and snacks

If you accumulate 500 exercise calories, you don’t need to eat them in one breath. Instead, consider spreading them throughout a few meals or snacks throughout the day. This can help prevent overeating and maintain stable energy levels.

Why does MyFitnessPal increase exercise calories?

myfitnesspal Increase your workout calories to your daily calorie goals to help you balance your energy intake with energy consumption.

As Brookell White points out, “Your calorie goals are calculated based on your weight goals, depending on whether you want to lose weight, maintain or gain weight. Technically, eating your calories will be pretty good good.”

But White said this choice should always be based on your personal status and goals.

Bottom line

Ultimately, whether you should eat your exercise calories depends on your situation.

If you want to lose weight, be careful with them. If you focus on building muscle or maintaining weight, eat those extra calories when you are hungry.

Either way, you have to listen to your body, monitor progress and adjust as needed.

Originally published on December 15, 2016; updated on February 17, 2025

Posts Ask the nutritionist: Should I eat my exercise calories? Appear first MyFitnessPal Blog.

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