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How to Know When You Need More Calories for Your Workouts

Most casual exercisers don’t need lots of extra food to fuel their workouts. But if you’re experiencing certain symptoms, it might be time to add more snacks to your eating plan.

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Unless you’re an elite athlete, there’s no need to be hypervigilant about how you fuel your workouts. But even casual exercise burns more calories than your body if you were at rest, which means that you might need to eat more in order to support both your workouts and your recovery.

“In a culture that emphasizes ‘eat less, exercise more,’ a lot of people are scared to eat enough [to support their workouts],” says Zoë Schroder, RDN, a nutrition coach and certified strength and conditioning specialist based in Tucson, Arizona. But ultimately, underfueling will undermine your goals and slow your recovery.

Here’s why getting adequate calories is so important, and how to know when you need more calories to fuel your exercise routine.

Why Does Your Body Burn More Calories During Exercise Than It Does at Rest?

“Our body receives the energy it needs in the form of calories, mainly carbohydrates and fat,” says Todd Buckingham, PhD, an exercise physiologist at the Mary Free Bed Sports Rehabilitation Performance Lab in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Carbohydrates break down into glucose and glycogen, while fat breaks down into fatty acids. “From there, these glucose, glycogen, and fatty acid molecules get broken down even further into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is what provides energy.” (Protein breaks down into amino acids, which also break down to ATP, but this process is less efficient and isn’t used to fuel exercise.)

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This process, known as metabolism, happens constantly in your body, even when you are stationary, such as while sleeping in bed or working at your desk. But during exercise, Dr. Buckingham explains, the rate of ATP production increases to support your muscles (which are doing more work than usual), as well as to regulate your body temperature and sustain your increased heart rate and breathing. The more ATP you produce, the more calories you burn.

How Many Calories Do You Burn During Exercise?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average 154-pound person will burn about 300 calories per hour during moderate-intensity exercise like walking, golfing, and casual cycling. The same person would burn between 440 and 590 calories after an hour of vigorous exercise like running, swimming, or circuit weight training. For a more accurate estimate on how many calories you burn during a certain activity, you can use a free Physical Activity Calorie Counter, which factors in your body weight, the type of exercise, and the duration.

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How Many Calories Do You Need to Support Your Workouts?

To maintain your current weight and keep your energy levels up, you need to eat roughly the same number of calories that you burn each day. For most people who aren’t elite athletes, this happens naturally, without you having to consciously add more food into your day. “Your hunger hormone, ghrelin, ramps up in response to increased exercise as your body's way of telling you you need to eat more,” Schroeder says.

That means that if you’re only doing moderate-intensity exercise — which, remember, burns about 300 calories per hour — a few times per week, there’s probably no need to intentionally up your calories. But if you exercise at a vigorous intensity (running, circuit training, HIIT,), which burns upwards of 500 calories per hour, your ghrelin levels can actually be suppressed post-workout, according to a past study. So, relying solely on your hunger cues could leave you underfueled, Schroeder says.

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“Too much of a calorie deficit can cause individuals to lose muscle mass,” Buckingham says. That’s not a good thing, as muscle mass supports your health by not only making it possible to do physical tasks, but also carrying out basic functions like moving blood through your body and helping you breathe, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Plus, muscle mass actually helps your body burn more calories overall, even at rest, according to a past study.

If you’re trying to lose weight, a small calorie deficit is okay. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recommends a calorie deficit of no more than 250 to 500 calories per day for active adults. If you notice over time that you’re losing weight and you don’t want to, you could try upping your calorie intake by a few hundred calories per day, Buckingham says. One hundred calories is the equivalent of roughly one medium banana or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

5 Signs You Need More Calories to Support Your Workout

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Look out for these common signs that you need more calories, so you can ensure you’re eating enough to support your workout routine:

1. Lasting Soreness

“If you notice that you stay sore for a long time after working out, this is a sign of nutritional inadequacy,” Schroeder says. A little bit of soreness is fine, but if it lasts for days, you might need to up your calorie intake as properly fueling is key to muscle recovery.

2. Poor Performance and Fatigue

If you notice that you’re not able to go as hard, fast, or heavy in your workouts as you used to, or if you’re constantly fatigued outside of your workouts, Buckingham says that this might be a sign that you’re not eating enough.

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3. Illness or Injury

Buckingham also warns that not eating enough calories to support your workouts can lead to illness and injury, as both muscle repair and immune function rely on energy and nutrients from food.

4. Dizziness

Low blood sugar happens when you don’t have enough stored energy. Called hypoglycemia, low blood sugar may result in feeling lightheaded or dizzy, according to Mayo Clinic. This is another sure-fire sign your body needs more calories than you’re taking in.

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5. Lost or Irregular Period

Over a long period of time, the combination of exercise and eating too few calories can lead to hypothalamic amenorrhea, a deficiency of the reproductive hormone estrogen. A literature review published in February 2019 in Seminars in Reproductive Medicine explains that hypothalamic amenorrhea can lead to lost or irregular periods, as well as irreversible bone loss and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As this is more serious than other symptoms, it’s best to speak with your doctor.

Tips for Increasing Your Calorie Intake

The good news is that upping your calorie intake is relatively simple. Schroeder recommends adding a snack or two in between meals that contains a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. “Carbohydrates are your body’s main fuel during exercise, so it’s important to replenish them afterwards,” Schroeder says. “Protein is essential for building and maintaining healthy muscles, and fat is important for vitamin absorption, hormone function, and overall health.” Some easy snacks that Schroeder suggests are peanut butter and banana, fruit and yogurt, or hummus and crackers. Portion size will depend on both your goals and how many calories you’re burning during a workout. If you’re aiming to eat 300 calories, you can get that from one medium banana and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

If snacks aren’t your thing, or if you need more calories than snacks can provide, Schroeder also recommends adding more healthy fats to your meals, since fat has more than double the calories (9 calories per gram) compared with protein and carbs (4 calories per gram), according to the Cleveland Clinic. “Things like avocado, olive oil, and peanut butter can increase calories without adding too much additional volume,” she says. Ultimately, eat healthy, whole foods to feel energized during workouts and throughout the day.

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Acne comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors — and sometimes, the skin condition doesn’t look like an obvious blemish at all.

Take blackheads, those pesky dark-colored gunk-filled spots. If you’ve ever tried squeezing one, you’ve probably found yourself facing down an angry bump instead, and immediately regretted it.

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So what is the best way to clear your skin from this type of acne?

First, let’s take a look at the causes and who is most prone to developing blackheads.

What Causes Blackheads?

“Blackheads are caused by a buildup of sebum, oil, dead skin cells and possibly C. acnes (the bacteria that causes acne) that are stuck in the hair follicle,” says Nazanin Saedi, MD, the director of Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Center, who is based in Philadelphia. “When these substances oxidize in the air, the opening turns black," says Dr. Saedi.

Kathleen Cook Suozzi, MD, the director of the aesthetic dermatology program at Yale Medicine and an assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, reveals that blackheads have a medical term: comedones. “Comedones are the early stage of acne formation,” the doctor explains. “When the follicle becomes more and more dilated, it can rupture and spill its contents out into the surrounding skin layer, called the dermis, and this can trigger an inflammatory response.” This manifests on the skin as an inflammatory papule — more commonly referred to as a pimple — a much greater evil than a blackhead.

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Acne-prone individuals are most susceptible to blackheads, but there is a genetic predisposition as well, explains Saedi. Dr. Suozzi says, “Hormonal influences also play a role, stimulating the production of sebum (skin oil).”

“Enlarged pores can also be present in individuals with severe sun damage,” Suozzi says. ”A decrease in the collagen support of the dermis surrounding the hair follicle can make the ostia (small openings) appear larger and more dilated. An extreme example of this is in the condition Favre-Racouchot, in which patients have large blackheads in areas of sun damaged skin, particularly around the eyes,” she says.

How to Prevent Blackheads on Your Skin

To keep blackheads at bay, Suozzi recommends topical or oral retinoids, including prescription medications like tretinoin or Retin-A. “Recently, a prescription strength retinoid, called adapalene or Differin, became available over the counter for the treatment of comedonal acne,” she says. “In cases of more severe comedonal acne, patients may require treatment with oral retinoids, such as isotretinoin, or Accutane.” Saedi adds that chemical exfoliants can also be effective, but she isn’t in favor of scrubs because they can cause irritation.

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The Best Ways to Get Rid of Blackheads

If you already have blackheads, there are a few dermatologist-endorsed methods to get rid of them — and a few of them are preventive as well.

Use Products With Salicylic Acid

One go-to ingredient for eliminating blackheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that increases cell turnover and unclogs pores, says Saedi. Suozzi adds that the acne treatment can help dry active acne lesions because it is a mild chemical irritant.

A wealth of research suggests salicylic acid helps treat acne. That includes a small double-blind and controlled study, which found that using a 2 percent salicylic acid wash for two weeks led to a reduction in acne lesions in 30 people.

Saedi recommends two thrifty but effective drugstore products with salicylic acid: Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash ($7.97, Amazon.com) and Neutrogena Gel Cleanser Acne Proofing ($8.29, Amazon.com).

If you are willing to invest a little more money for a more potent, multitasking product, Suozzi recommends Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense ($92, Dermstore.com) a combination of 2 percent dioic acid with an optimal alpha and beta hydroxy acid formulation that will not only help with acne, because it reduces sebum, but also has anti-aging properties. Additionally, she is a fan of DCL Multi Action Penta Peel pads ($65, Dermstore.com), a highly concentrated peel or chemical exfoliant.

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Add a Retinoid to Your Routine

Retinoids, which are available by prescription (such as Retin-A) and over-the-counter (Differin) are a reliable method for ridding the skin of blackheads. “Retinoids work by promoting skin turnover and decreasing the ‘stickiness’ of the skin cells to prevent blockage of the follicular ostia,” Suozzi explains.

She notes that when you start retinoid treatment, comedones may worsen as cell turnover increases against a clogged opening, causing further dilatation. “However, with continued treatment, the plugged ostia begin to improve, and with skin turnover promoted, they are less likely to become blocked in the future,” she says.

Not only will a retinoid help improve acne, but it's great for anti-aging and skin regeneration as well. A study published in March 2016 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that in only four weeks of using a retinol (a lower-concentration retinoid), subjects experienced an increase in collagen production and epidermal thickness, and in 12 weeks “significant reduction in facial wrinkles.” Saedi suggests trying an OTC product like Differin ($12.88, Amazon.com) first, but if it isn’t helping, “then see a doctor for prescription strength.”

Consider Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, are helpful as well, says Saedi, but she maintains that salicylic acid is better for helping unclog pores. Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum ($90, Sephora.com) and Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment ($48, SundayRiley.com) are two highly rated AHAs on the web.

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Opt for an In-Office Treatment

A dermatologist can help rid your skin of blackheads. “There are in-office treatments that can help diminish the appearance of pores,” Suozzi points out. These include nonablative resurfacing (aka laser treatments) such as Fraxel laser or Clear + Brilliant laser or microneedling. Prices vary and can range from a few hundred dollars to $1,500 or more, dermatologists say. While some people are happy with the results of a single treatment, others may need multiple sessions to achieve desired results.

The Worst Ways to Get Rid of Blackheads

Using Harsh Scrubs

It can be tempting to slough away all your dead skin in instant gratification via the help of an exfoliating scrub. While chemical exfoliators (like AHAs) can be helpful, Saedi suggests avoiding over-exfoliating with a granule scrub as you may have been taught to do as a teen, when you manually scrubbed granules into your skin until it was red. “Harsh scrubs can strip your natural oils and create more oil,” she points out. Dermatologists in general recommend exfoliating up to three times per week, depending on the product you are using and your skin type.

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Doing Manual Extractions

Suozzi recommends fighting the urge to pop any pimples. “If you squeeze your blackheads, you can cause the follicle to rupture and induce the formation of an inflammatory lesion, or cyst,” she says. In other words, you can transform your blackhead into a much more serious skin condition. Keep in mind that the closer a blackhead is to the surface of your skin, the safer it is to squeeze.

Turning to Suction Devices

Tech that promises to suck sebum from pores may sound appealing, but these products may do more harm than good, Suozzi says. “This suction can be harmful to delicate facial skin and can induce telangiectasias, or ‘broken blood vessels’ to appear, particularly on and around the nose,” Suozzi explains.

The Takeaway on Preventing and Treating Blackheads

While it might be almost impossible to resist attempting to extract that blackhead with your own two fingers, try your hardest to leave it alone.

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“The best treatment is prevention,” says Suozzi. Enlist the help of a few effective ingredients — for example retinoids, double-taskers that will not only help treat the skin condition but also prevent new blackheads from forming. Or,

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