Chapter 8, Problem 40P

Energy is conventionally measured in Calories as well as in joules. One Calorie in nutrition is one kilocalorie, defined as 1 kcal = 4 186 J. Metabolizing 1 g of fat can release 9.00 kcal. A student decides to try to lose weight by exercising. He plans to run up and down the stairs in a football stadium as fast as he can and as many times as necessary. To evaluate the program, suppose he runs up a flight of 80 steps, each 0.150 m high, in 65.0 s. For simplicity, ignore the energy he uses in coming down (which is small). Assume a typical efficiency for human muscles is 20.0%. This statement means that when your body converts 100J from metabolizing fat, 20 J goes into doing mechanical work (here, climbing stairs). The remainder goes into extra internal energy. Assume the student’s mass is 75.0 kg. (a) How many times must the student run the flight of stairs to lose 1.00 kg of fat? (b) What is his average power output, in watts and in horsepower, as he runs up the stairs? (c) Is this activity in itself a practical way to lose weight?