Long drives wear you out, but is it any more burn than just sitting around?
CarvedTones
Posts: 2,340 Member
The title is pretty much the question:
Long drives wear you out, but is it any more burn than just sitting around?
I just did a 4 day weekend and drove 18 hours to see my son for two and a half days. Good visit; it was worth it. It made me wonder - is there any extra burn to a drive? I feel physically worn out at the end of one, but I suspect it is more from confinement and not moving than from exertion. Driving a race car burns a lot, but I am talking about cruise control on the freeway with only a few turns at stops along the way and at each end. Not aerobic and not anaerobic, so I guess I know the likely answer...
Long drives wear you out, but is it any more burn than just sitting around?
I just did a 4 day weekend and drove 18 hours to see my son for two and a half days. Good visit; it was worth it. It made me wonder - is there any extra burn to a drive? I feel physically worn out at the end of one, but I suspect it is more from confinement and not moving than from exertion. Driving a race car burns a lot, but I am talking about cruise control on the freeway with only a few turns at stops along the way and at each end. Not aerobic and not anaerobic, so I guess I know the likely answer...
3
Replies
-
What is the calorie burn for reading a book? Probably along those lines. Paying attention, flipping pages.1
-
Yup, you actually do burn more calories driving: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-driving-calculator/4
-
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Yup, you actually do burn more calories driving: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-driving-calculator/
That seems high. 2.5 MET? That would mean I burned several hundred calories each way (9 hours of actual driving in each direction). OTOH, I guess how much effort it is can depend on a few factors. For logistical reasons, I swapped cars with him and will swap back when he visits during the holidays. My car seems to have better power steering and is more wind resistant. On the way back, driving his car, my arms were tensed substantially more often that on the way up. That is something I had not thought about; it's basically low intensity isometrics that adds up over time.
I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.0 -
CarvedTones wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Yup, you actually do burn more calories driving: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-driving-calculator/
That seems high. 2.5 MET? That would mean I burned several hundred calories each way (9 hours of actual driving in each direction). OTOH, I guess how much effort it is can depend on a few factors. For logistical reasons, I swapped cars with him and will swap back when he visits during the holidays. My car seems to have better power steering and is more wind resistant. On the way back, driving his car, my arms were tensed substantially more often that on the way up. That is something I had not thought about; it's basically low intensity isometrics that adds up over time.
I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
If you think about it, brain activity is one of the bigger contributors to BMR. If you're focussed on the drive, then you've got more activity.2 -
CarvedTones wrote: »I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
MFP really needs to get rid of the woos
15 -
Would you of otherwise just of been sat on your *kitten* for the 18 hours this weekend?
For we if I have that much driving I'm missing a lot of other activity.
I'm sceptical about cruise control driving burning more than negligible calories but even if it does its less than I would do otherwise.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Yup, you actually do burn more calories driving: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-driving-calculator/
That seems high. 2.5 MET? That would mean I burned several hundred calories each way (9 hours of actual driving in each direction). OTOH, I guess how much effort it is can depend on a few factors. For logistical reasons, I swapped cars with him and will swap back when he visits during the holidays. My car seems to have better power steering and is more wind resistant. On the way back, driving his car, my arms were tensed substantially more often that on the way up. That is something I had not thought about; it's basically low intensity isometrics that adds up over time.
I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
If you think about it, brain activity is one of the bigger contributors to BMR. If you're focussed on the drive, then you've got more activity.
Brain is a big calorie consumer, but I don't know that "thinking harder" burns more. That little sucker is humming away in there doing stuff all the time. I know that the research says higher IQ isn't larger burn, and I think there's some suggesting that setting people hard intellectual problems doesn't move the needle much either. No cites at hand, though.2 -
https://632e345c-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/references/16 - Transportation2 - 2011 Compendium PA.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7crK3LM81dziDEaLfWgN20w3WscjgQP148QcfI_UxlJdZJMuA8WrVBo6JX5ZmYnTDNofdbpWCpyFvJHrdHL6d5_GqFpJcAV4xCV0Q3m-M_8-EtqwIfZcZTFGPwQxak9-HYGmTHBQNF_YUrjQCqOUEOqTNag7TKN1IFVip0jMWuSnof9s8fHZg0SiI5gGy0zm12oezaWWE5ZhZPpBeQ1e-B6lyiqZRC2F5h7ALod0IF3catJeBEf5y802_ZgnQdw3LMzg7BOOPauN8aFVF0yUgeWm5XcFDfw_y121YseCt2Du1D1mfSA=&attredirects=0
This was linked from the captaincalculator site. Motorcycle riding is a higher burn than cage driving.2 -
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »Would you of otherwise just of been sat on your *kitten* for the 18 hours this weekend?
For we if I have that much driving I'm missing a lot of other activity.
I'm sceptical about cruise control driving burning more than negligible calories but even if it does its less than I would do otherwise.
My activity is so variable that I select sedentary and add it in. I am also a skeptic about the calories burned, but I didn't really consider the light isometrics adding up. My son's car is a Cube and it was windy; I can believe I burned more than on the way up. You have to fight the wind to stay in your lane and the steering is power assist rather than full power steering. It's not a lot of effort, but I guess it might be comparable to a light stretch band.
EDIT - I am not convinced enough to log it.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
MFP really needs to get rid of the woos
What does/do the "woo" mean?1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
MFP really needs to get rid of the woos
What does/do the "woo" mean?
It means folklore about dieting/fitness that is usually based on junk science. Cleanses, spot reducing, drinking apple vinegar, etc...
If you see a post with a lot of woos, it is probably not something you should believe.1 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Yup, you actually do burn more calories driving: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-driving-calculator/
That seems high. 2.5 MET? That would mean I burned several hundred calories each way (9 hours of actual driving in each direction). OTOH, I guess how much effort it is can depend on a few factors. For logistical reasons, I swapped cars with him and will swap back when he visits during the holidays. My car seems to have better power steering and is more wind resistant. On the way back, driving his car, my arms were tensed substantially more often that on the way up. That is something I had not thought about; it's basically low intensity isometrics that adds up over time.
I notice I got a couple of Woos for asking a question and now it turns out it wasn't a stupid question at all.
If you think about it, brain activity is one of the bigger contributors to BMR. If you're focussed on the drive, then you've got more activity.
Brain is a big calorie consumer, but I don't know that "thinking harder" burns more. That little sucker is humming away in there doing stuff all the time. I know that the research says higher IQ isn't larger burn, and I think there's some suggesting that setting people hard intellectual problems doesn't move the needle much either. No cites at hand, though.
I wouldn't anticipate that IQ has a bearing. It'd be interesting to see what the effects are. Admittedly N=few anecdata but a couple of hours of standard driving is less fatiguing than a couple of hours of high speed commentary driving.
0 -
I am not sure how many calories I burned thinking about this, but I think it is the cumulative effect of hours of light isometrics. Driving on a windy day in a light high profile vehicle that requires more effort than most cars to steer intensifies the isometrics but I am still not convinced it burns all that much. Maybe 50 calories an hour in excess of what you would burn just sitting around. Maybe.1
-
I just changed jobs and have to drive all day now, and it does wear me out. I think it may have to do with the level of mental attention that has to be devoted to driving, rather than any physical exertion. Probably not a significant calorie burn difference from sitting on the couch, unfortunately.0
-
A more efficient brain is cooler.
https://www.inc.com/john-brandon/want-to-improve-your-autopilot-mode-for-repetitive-tasks-scientists-just-found-a-way.html
Anecdotally my father, end stage COPD, gasps for breath after ten steps. But he can drive nearly forever as the oxygen requirement is about the same as for sitting.0 -
jennifer_417 wrote: »I just changed jobs and have to drive all day now, and it does wear me out. I think it may have to do with the level of mental attention that has to be devoted to driving, rather than any physical exertion. Probably not a significant calorie burn difference from sitting on the couch, unfortunately.
As a cyclist, and motorcyclist, the knowledge that people aren't mentally engaged whilst driving is unsurprising.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions