Question

If you exercise at an intensity of 1 liter of oxygen per minute, about how many calories would you burn in one hour?

Answer 1

When exercising carbohydrates an fats are oxidized to release energy used by muscles, during this oxidation 1 liter of oxygen is equivalent to approximately 5 calories. Therefore if one liter of oxygen is consumed every minute during exercise, then in an hour 60 liters of oxygen will have been used. But since one liter of oxygen is equivalent to 5 calories, then in an hour 300 calories will have burned.

Answer 2

A human being burns about 5 calories per liter of oxygen consumed so if a person were consuming 1 liter of oxygen a minute they would burn about 300 calories an hour. While sitting still the average person consumes about 250 ml a minute so at 5 liters a minute they would be getting an aerobic work out.