Soft drinks are possibly the most loved and widely consumed drinks worldwide. Whether it’s a carbonated cola or a fruit punch, soft drinks are available in a wide range of brands and flavors.

They may be tempting, but they come with high calorie and sugar content, which can be hazardous to health. To avoid the ill effects of consuming sugary beverages, people often wonder about the required time to burn off the calories of a single can or bottle of soft drink.

Understanding calories and soft drinks

Each can or bottle of soft drink contains an unhealthy amount of calories that are not ideal for a healthy body. It is important to clearly understand what calories are before discussing how running helps burn them off.

A calorie is a unit of energy that the body needs to perform basic life processes such as breathing, digesting food, and maintaining body temperature. When energy is not expended, it is stored as fat in the body, leading to obesity, hypertension, and heart diseases.

In general, a 12-ounce serving of a sugary drink has approximately 140-180 calories. Regular soda and fruit punch have about 150-165 calories per 12 ounces, while sweetened tea and lemonade may have more than 180 calories.

To burn off these calories, one needs to choose a physical activity that requires a significant amount of energy output.

Burning calories through running

Running is one of the most effective physical activities that can enable one to burn off the calories of a soft drink. Depending on the speed, weight, and metabolism, a 30-minute run can burn up to 300 calories.

The ability of burning calories while running depends on several factors such as age, gender, body mass, and fitness level. Therefore, it is crucial to consult with a healthcare practitioner before starting any exercise routine.

Factors affecting calorie burning while running

The number of calories one can burn off by running depends on several factors. These factors include;.

Speed of running – faster running burns more calories
Body weight – heavier individuals burn more calories
Metabolism – those with higher metabolism burn more calories
Distance covered – longer distances lead to more calorie expenditure

How long does it take to burn off a can/bottle of soft drink?

For a person weighing about 160 pounds, running at a moderate speed of 5 miles per hour or 8 kilometers per hour burns about 228 calories in 30 minutes. Let us consider Coca-Cola, which is a non-diet soft drink that has 150 calories per 12fl oz can.

So, to burn off the 150 calories from a bottle of coke, one needs to run for approximately 43 minutes.

The same person would have to run for 33 minutes to burn off the calories from a 12-oz can of Pepsi, which contains 120 calories.

Similarly, a 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew Code Red has 290 calories a person would burn off by running for approximately 86 minutes. These calculations apply to an individual weighing 160 pounds, and the duration of running will increase or decrease depending on the weight and metabolism of the individual.

Conclusion

In conclusion, moderate to fast running is an effective way of burning off the calories of a soft drink. The duration of running required to burn off the calories varies depending on individual factors such as body weight and metabolism.

It is essential to balance the intake of sugary drinks for a healthy lifestyle and consider healthier options such as drinking more water and avoiding high-sugar drinks.