Energy
Energy and Thermal Physics
Human energy expenditure
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
A wonderfully detailed list of the energy expenditures of various activities has been produced:
| Activity | Energy expenditure (kJ per hour per kg of body mass) |
|---|---|
| Talking or talking on the phone, reclining | 4 |
| Sitting, knitting, sewing, light wrapping (presents) | 6 |
| Occupation, office work in general | 6 |
| Studying, general, including reading and/or writing (sitting) | 7.5 |
| Washing dishes | 9 |
| Shopping (non-grocery shopping, walking) | 9 |
| Playing snooker/pool | 10 |
| Getting ready for bed | 10 |
| Walking using crutches | 17 |
| Playing drums | 17 |
| Table tennis, ping pong | 17 |
| Scrubbing floors on hands and knees | 23 |
| Grooming a horse | 25 |
| Carrying groceries upstairs | 33 |
| A police officer making an arrest | 33 |
| Swimming, backstoke | 33 |
| Football, competitive | 42 |
| Swimming, crawl, fast | 46 |
References
Human energy expenditure
H. J. Montoye, Energy Costs of Exercise and Sport, In R. J. Maughan (Ed.), Nutrition in Sport, The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine, Oxford, Blackwell Science, 2000 pp. 62-72.
