[Reading Science] How Much Electricity Does the Human Body Produce in a Day?

The human body produces and consumes a proper amount of bioelectricity every day. Could the amount of bioelectricity produced be proportional to one's health condition?
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] For a person to be active, energy must be supplied to enable the brain and various organs of the body to function. The medium that transmits this energy is 'electricity,' and the electricity that flows through or is generated by humans or other living organisms is called 'bioelectricity (生體電氣, bioelectricity).'

All human activities such as breathing, thinking, and moving are possible because of this bioelectricity. How much bioelectricity does a human consume and produce in a day, which is essential for human life activities?

First, looking at the amount of electricity consumed by humans, an adult uses approximately 420 kJ (kilojoules, 100 kcal) of energy when resting for one hour. Converted into electrical units, this corresponds to about 116 W. The brain consumes about 20 W of electricity per hour.

Compared to a laptop computer that uses 40 to 90 W of power per hour, the brain uses about 30 to 50% of the electricity of a laptop computer. The amount of electricity used by the brain accounts for about 20% of the total electricity used by the human body.

Based on these rough figures, the human body uses about 100 W of electricity per hour, and about 2400 W (2.4 kW) in a day (24 hours). This is the amount of electricity that could power a laptop computer for one to two days, consumed in just one day. Although the consumption could be higher, this is the amount identified so far.

Then, how and how much electricity does the human body produce? Physiological phenomena such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood flow are essential activities to sustain life and are called 'life activities.' The energy generated from these life activities is bioelectricity.

The best example of life activity is 'body temperature.' The ambient temperature humans live in averages about 26℃ in summer and 18 to 20℃ in winter. However, body temperature is always maintained at 36.5℃. To raise the temperature by about 10℃ in summer and 16 to 18℃ in winter, the human body actively works.

The electrical energy generated through these activities, i.e., the amount of body heat converted into electrical energy, is said to be 116 W. Walking for one hour produces 5.0 to 8.3 W of electricity; reading a book produces 190 W; intense exercise produces 700 W; talking produces 0.33 W; sleeping produces 75 W; and breathing produces 0.4 W. Adding these values results in a total of 1090 W (1.09 kW).

1090 W is enough electricity to charge a smartphone more than 400 times and power more than 10 light bulbs. However, this figure can vary depending on the individual. Not everyone reads books or exercises all day. Also, many secrets of electricity production remain undiscovered, so the actual amount of electricity the human body produces in a day is unknown.

Isn't the energy that ultimately moves humans bioelectricity?
[Photo by the movie 'The Matrix' still cut]

Humans produce 5 to 6 V of electricity at birth, but this amount decreases to below 2.5 V in old age. Human cells repeat generation and apoptosis approximately every six months, and producing new cells requires about three times more bioelectricity than before. If bioelectricity is insufficient at this time, the risk of cancer increases.

If an organ in the body is injured, the electrical resistance in that area increases, reducing the current flow. This causes muscle contraction, reducing blood flow and oxygen levels. Consequently, waste products are not excreted and accumulate, leading to disease. But what if bioelectricity production is also low? Wouldn't the increasing number of areas failing to send abnormal signals to the brain quickly lead to poor health?

Ultimately, producing a lot of bioelectricity is advantageous for maintaining health, and to do so, one must engage more in activities that produce high amounts of electricity such as intense exercise, reading, and walking. The small amounts of bioelectricity generated by each heartbeat and chemical reaction in cells accumulate to maintain a healthy body.