What is the caloric cost of 1 liter of oxygen consumed?
                                
                                
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                                    5 min read                                
                            
                                According to research, the body burns approximately 5 calories for every liter of oxygen consumed. This conversion factor, known as the caloric equivalent of oxygen, is a cornerstone of exercise physiology and is used to estimate energy expenditure through indirect calorimetry. While 5 kcal per liter is a reliable average, the precise value can vary based on several metabolic factors.