Do seasons effect typical activity and calorie burn?

MFD7576

Hey guys, givin you guys some content to thing over and discuss with me.

Do you think activity during a certain season could sway gains or loses?

Besides the typical "pig out for x holiday" and the usually laziness of a cold day.

Would cold weather majorly effect your ability take a jog? Will trying to get warm burn calories and will sweating more during the summer do exactly the same?

Bored at work here and just thinking of general questions Ive always pondered.

scottb81

For running i think I can burn more calories when it's cold outside because I can run harder and longer without overheating. A hot humid day raises the heartrate 10 to 20 beats and the heat greatly limits intensity and duration.

If you're at rest you burn more calories in the cold as your body tries to stay warm.

jacksonpt

Temperature can impact your performance, which can impact overall calorie burn... but your body having to warm itself on a cold day or cool itself on a hot day won't have any direct impact on calorie burn.

MFD7576

scottb81 wrote: »

For running i think I can burn more calories when it's cold outside because I can run harder and longer without overheating. A hot humid day raises the heartrate 10 to 20 beats and the heat greatly limits intensity and duration.

If you're at rest you burn more calories in the cold as your body tries to stay warm.

Might sound silly but I didn't really consider the fatigue aspect of it. If I had a gigantic ac blowing at me while I was running I would run for so long haha. I sweat way too easy

cwolfman13

In my experience, season plays a roll, not necessarily in the calorie burns you get from the given activity (there may be some difference, but I would think it pretty minimal...majoring in the minors if you will) but more so in that as fall and winter set in, people in general tend to become overall less active. In my experience, not only does deliberate exercise suffer to some extent, but activity in general tends to slow...shorter days and colder days.

As an example, during the warmer months, not only do I tend to spend more time on my bike out riding, but I'm also doing things like taking my kids to the zoo...or the aquarium...or we're off to the mountains for a hike and a picnic or a day of fishing, etc. Conversely, in the winter, we are far more likely to be cooped up at home watching a movie or something.

I like doing my cardio work (cycling) outdoors...so winter can sometimes put a damper on my cycling...like I may ride 4 - 5 times per week during warmer months and get in 80 - 100 miles per week...I might get in a couple rides on nicer days during the colder months...and maybe I put in 30-50 miles per week. I tend to spend more time in the weight room during the winter months...lights on and heated; I often have to force myself to get on the treadmill or something to run during the winter just to get in some cardio work.

You add to that, holidays and in general just eating heavier foods in the winter and you kind of have a perfect storm for putting on a few pounds. During the summer when it's hot, my meals tend to be light...some grilled fish and veggies or a salad is pretty typical for dinner...whereas in winter I want a big piece of lasagna or something.

I know this is true for myself and I've seen it in many others as well. I can't remember where I read it, but I did read somewhere that the average person puts on most of their weight during the winter months...and then they shed a fraction of that when the warmer months roll in and so on and so forth until years later they've put on 40 Lbs for example.

cheshirecatastrophe

It is easier to go farther, harder, in cold weather.

Living north of the Wall presents certain problems, however. Generally the snow we get in November and December has a chance to melt, but pretty much after Christmas, the sidewalks aren't clear until late March/April (depends on year) and the roads' shoulder/parking lane/bike lane fill up with plow piles. The road spends about 50% of its time covered in hardpack snowice and 50% warm enough for the salt to melt some of it. So there isn't anywhere to run or get up to a decent speed on a bike. That puts me on the treadmill or the bike trainer, which is even worse than running outside in the heat of summer sweat.

(Yes, I get bitter when people who live in parts warmer insist, "If you're not running outside in the winter you're a wimp." It's not a question of cold, it's a question of not having anywhere to run. Our parks earmark their running/hiking trails to cross-country skiing.)

One difference for me is that above freezing, I am more likely to walk or bike to the grocery store. Sub-freezing, ice, subzero, I'm in the car.

National Weather Service declared unsafe days and whiteouts also make things interesting.