What is the Maximum Amount of Chemical Energy Stored in a Human Body?

In summary, the conversation discussed the amount of chemical energy held in the human body and how long it would sustain a person before they died of starvation. There were also discussions about the energy gained through breathing and the potential power of muscles if all the energy were used at once. Estimates were made using factors such as power output, calorie consumption, and weight loss. The conversation also touched on the efficiency factor between energy use and power, and how some machines display watts. The conversation was sparked by a question about the amount of energy in the human body for a sci-fi writing project.
  • #1
Researcher X
93
0
I only have a basic knowledge biology, but I've wondered about this before.

From a "fully charged" adult male human to dying of lack of nourishment; in case of chemical energy from food, this is often said to be three weeks.

If it takes that long for a human to lose energy, how much is held chemically, in joules? It's hard to believe that a human can keep moving for that long with the reserves we have. There's also the energy we gain with each breath, so that's a factor too.

Also, if this chemical reserve was used up all at once in a single movement, how much more powerfully would our muscles fire (ignoring inhibition which stops the body from tearing it's own muscles, but then this a hypothetical of the force produced.) If an Olympic Athlete was able to use ALL of the energy to high jump, how far would he or she fly? (taking the destruction of the bone and muscle out of the equation).
 
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  • #2
Researcher X said:
There's also the energy we gain with each breath, so that's a factor too.
We gain no energy by breathing.
What we gain is oxygen, which allows us to burn the fuel that we eat.
 
  • #3
You can get a very rough first order approximation by starting with the average power output of an average human, which is roughly 200 watts. Given three weeks = 1,814,400 seconds, you get ~363 MJ.
 
  • #4
negitron said:
You can get a very rough first order approximation by starting with the average power output of an average human, which is roughly 200 watts. Given three weeks = 1,814,400 seconds, you get ~363 MJ.

That sounds insane. That's equivalent to 80 kilos of TNT, apparently.
 
  • #5
negitron said:
You can get a very rough first order approximation by starting with the average power output of an average human, which is roughly 200 watts. Given three weeks = 1,814,400 seconds, you get ~363 MJ.

I had thought it was more like 60W. Admittedly, that's indirect.
In electronic component clean-rooms, minute temperature changes can affect deposition rates of chemicals. The temperature of the room is so carefully controlled that, when employees enter and exit the room, they turn off or on a 60W light bulb to compensate.
 
  • #6
Researcher X said:
From a "fully charged" adult male human to dying of lack of nourishment; in case of chemical energy from food, this is often said to be three weeks.

If it takes that long for a human to lose energy, how much is held chemically, in joules? It's hard to believe that a human can keep moving for that long with the reserves we have.

Something important to factor into this is that as one is dying of starvation, they are NOT moving until they suddenly drop dead. I don't know exactly how long it would take for an otherwise healthy person who is deprived of food (assuming they still have access to water) to become so lethargic that they can't do anything but lie still, but I suspect it might only be a few days, if that long, and then all energy usage would be reserved to just vital functions of organs.
 
  • #7
DaveC426913 said:
I had thought it was more like 60W. Admittedly, that's indirect.
I generally use 70w. 200w would be during some reasonably strenuous exercise.
 
  • #8
Another way to make a very rough estimate is to assume, say, 40 kg weight loss before death. If you divide 40 kg by the average atomic mass we get the number of atoms. If we assume that the atomic mass is 12 u, then we arrive at the estimate of 2*10^27 atoms. If the energy yield per atom in the various chemical reactions is 1 eV, then the total energy is 320 MJ, which is quite close to the estimate by Negitron :smile:
 
  • #9
I think there is a factor 4 efficiency factor between energy use and power. If you generate 200 Watt useful power on a home trainer, you are actually burning energy at a rate of 800 Watt.
 
  • #10
Another order-of-magnitude estimate, based on calorie consumption. If an average person requires 2,000 calories per day, then he uses 2,000 C x 4,184 J/C x 15 days = 126 MJ. That's probably closer to the mark than my previous estimate, which is based on the derating value of a human's power output for HVAC system sizing.
 
  • #11
Count Iblis said:
I think there is a factor 4 efficiency factor between energy use and power. If you generate 200 Watt useful power on a home trainer, you are actually burning energy at a rate of 800 Watt.
The wattage might be output, but the calories it gives you are certainly input.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air conditioning Engineers publishes energy consumption data for various activities for use by engineers. Thinking about it more, 70 watts is actually just the sensible heat - there's an additional somewhat lesser amount of latent heat (moisture) generated. For an office worker, it is something like 250 btu sensible, 200 latent. Anyway, sorry, 200 w wasn't far off the mark and is reasonable for someone doing some active housework or something like that.
 
  • #12
russ_watters said:
Not sure if the wattage is output...

Yes, some machines do display watts.
 
  • #13
negitron said:
Another order-of-magnitude estimate, based on calorie consumption. If an average person requires 2,000 calories per day, then he uses 2,000 C x 4,184 J/C x 15 days = 126 MJ. That's probably closer to the mark than my previous estimate, which is based on the derating value of a human's power output for HVAC system sizing.
Yeah, that's a good way to estimate it. Converting directly from calories to watts, that's 96 watts, average.
 
  • #14
negitron said:
Yes, some machines do display watts.
I know they display it, I just wasn't sure (until I checked) if the displayed watts was output or input.
 
  • #15
Oh, Oh, okay. I misunderstood what you meant.
 
  • #16
Hi,

I hope it's okay to bump this older thread.

I'm a sci-fi writer. And I've been googling for information about the amount of energy in the human body so that I can flesh out a plot detail in my current novel. (Thus I landed here.)

As background to my questions, here is an older science news article from the Sydney Morning Herald which points toward what I am writing about in my novel.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/03/1059849278131.html

Power from blood could lead to 'human batteries'

August 4, 2003

A device that produces electricity from blood could be used to turn people into "human batteries".

Researchers in Japan are developing a method of drawing power from blood glucose, mimicking the way the body generates energy from food.

Theoretically, it could allow a person to pump out 100 watts - enough to illuminate a light bulb.

But that would entail converting all the food eaten by the individual into electricity. In practice, less power would be generated since food is needed by the body.

However the scientists say the "bio-nano" generator could be used to run devices embedded in the body, or sugar-fed robots.

The team at electronics giant Panasonic's Nanotechnology Research Laboratory near Kyoto has so far only managed to produce very low power levels.

But the scientists ultimately expect to gain much greater performance from the device.

The battery is based on an enzyme capable of stripping glucose of its electrons, The Engineer magazine reported.

Dr Kazuo Eda, heading the research, said: "It is like the metabolism of food. Human bodies can process glucose and obtain energy. When glucose is oxidised, electrons can be obtained."

He believed bio-nano fuel cells were the next step for researchers after generators powered by hydrogen, natural gas and methanol now being developed for the car and energy industries

Anyway, in my novel, my Main Character is sort of an Alfred Hitchcock/Frank Capra "everyman" who gets unwittingly sucked into a dark power struggle of international intrigue. Part of the mystery being unraveled in the story is that he discovers (much to his horror) that he has a small implant in him. He has a doctor take it out, and then he brings it to a techy-geeky friend who identifies it as a GPS tracker --so my Main Character was unknowingly "chipped" much like a dog. But (his techy-geeky friend explains), the difference between the kind of RFID chip you would put into a dog versus an actual GPS tracker is that an RFID chip is a passive device that needs no power supply to function. But a GPS is an active transmitter which needs a hefty and continuous amount of energy to transmit all day long. Thus GPS trackers need batteries, and those batteries need to be replaced rather frequently (much like the frequency needed to recharge a cell phone). Therefore it's currently impossible to surgically place a GPS tracker inside of a dog or a horse or a human because the tracker's internal battery pack would run out of juice in a matter of days and then be useless. However ... the device that my Main Character had in him is a very advance little gadget which astonishes the techy-geeky friend because --so far as he knew-- such a device was merely theoretical and didn't actually exist yet. This device draws upon the power generated by the human body in order to transmit. So it can theoretically transmit for years.

So ... my questions are:

1) How much energy does a GPS tracker need PER HOUR to transmit all day long?
2) How much energy does the human body generate PER HOUR via normal digestion of food?
3) How much of an energy deficit would that human suffer PER HOUR as a result of the GPS tracker stealing energy away from him? And would he need a daily allotment of extra food and more sleep to try and make up for that deficit?
4) I am very poorly versed in the technical jargon used when discussing electricity, wattage, amps, hertz, joules, etc, and I am equally inept at trying to translate back and forth between watts and amps and volts and hertz and joules, etc, so please give me the for-dummies treatment if you launch into that sort of explanation.

Thanks for all your help! :)
 
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  • #17
Power is energy per unit time. Watts are units of power, and 1 Watt = 1 Joule per second. Volts multiplied by Amps will give you Watts because the terms for electric charge in each unit will cancel each other out. Calories are units of energy, not power. If you convert 2000 Calories into Joules, then divide that number by the number of seconds in a day, the result will be in Watts. Remember that a lot of the energy is lost as heat (also Joules), so only a fraction of the 2000 Calories could be tapped into for "useful" work.
 
  • #18
Oil Lady said:
<snip>

So ... my questions are:

1) How much energy does a GPS tracker need PER HOUR to transmit all day long?
2) How much energy does the human body generate PER HOUR via normal digestion of food?
3) How much of an energy deficit would that human suffer PER HOUR as a result of the GPS tracker stealing energy away from him? And would he need a daily allotment of extra food and more sleep to try and make up for that deficit?
4) I am very poorly versed in the technical jargon used when discussing electricity, wattage, amps, hertz, joules, etc, and I am equally inept at trying to translate back and forth between watts and amps and volts and hertz and joules, etc, so please give me the for-dummies treatment if you launch into that sort of explanation.

1) A GPS tracker could be as simple as a receiver (to get a position) and a small tramsmitter to transmit the information. Both of those devices are available now, for real, that run on AAA batteries: it's possible to imagine the package would only draw a few milliWatts (mW) or so of power.

2) the human body basically generates 100W of power from normal resting metabolism (normal recommended daily calorie intake).

3) The GPS transceiver draws a negligible amount of power when compared to this. You would not notice.
 
  • #19
Okay. All very helpful information. Thanks for all yor help! :)
 

1. What is the main source of energy in the human body?

The main source of energy in the human body is glucose, which is a type of sugar found in foods that we consume. Glucose is converted into ATP (adenosine triphosphate) through a process called cellular respiration, which is used by cells to carry out various functions and activities.

2. How does the body store energy?

The body stores energy in the form of glycogen, which is a complex carbohydrate made up of multiple glucose molecules. It is primarily stored in the liver and muscles and can be broken down into glucose when the body needs energy. Fat cells also serve as a long-term energy storage for the body.

3. How do different types of food provide energy for the body?

Carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are the most easily broken down by the body and provide a quick source of energy. Proteins and fats take longer to break down but provide more sustained energy. The body can also convert proteins and fats into glucose for energy if needed.

4. How does exercise affect the body's energy levels?

Exercise increases the body's demand for energy, causing the cells to use up more glucose and produce more ATP. It also stimulates the breakdown of glycogen and fat cells to provide additional energy. Regular exercise can also improve the body's overall energy production and efficiency.

5. What happens to the body when it does not receive enough energy?

When the body does not receive enough energy, it goes into a state of starvation and starts breaking down muscle tissue for energy. This can lead to muscle loss, weakness, fatigue, and other health issues. In severe cases, it can even lead to organ failure and death.

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