Does swimming in freezing water still burn calories??

dakotababy

Your body needs to maintain your cells at a healthy temperature, and it will spend extra energy when you're in a colder environment to do it, and therefore you will burn more calories.

Also, I found this on the web: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17622298

Among a few things, this popped out to me: "Studies over the last decade reported that swimming failure might primarily be related not to general hypothermia, but rather to muscle fatigue of the arms as a consequence of arm cooling. This is based on the general observation that swimming failure developed earlier than did systemic hypothermia, and can be related to low temperature of the arm muscles following swimming in cold water. All of the above studies conducted in water between 10 and 14 degrees C indicate that people can swim in cold water for a distance ranging between about 800 and 1500 m before being incapacitated by the cold. The average swimming duration for the studies was about 47 min before incapacitation, regardless of the swimming ability of the subjects."

So, please be careful!

Interesting, thanks for this information!

dakotababy

Being cold, exercising in cooler temps, swimming in cool water actually burns more calories because of thermodynamics. We expend calories trying to warm the body up to base temperature. Shivering is one of the best ways to burn calories!

The shivering thing is true- but I'm not sure if exercise in cold temperature burns more calories. Wouldn't the body have to work less hard by way of sweating in order to actually cool the body down? No need to shiver because the exercise warms up the body on its own. So- in my admittedly unresearched opinion- I believe it would burn less calories. But probably not a significant amount less since the main calorie consumption is from the muscles and not the sweat glands.

I believe it's true because you're submerged in water. A person doesn't typically sweat when swimming regardless of water temp so they would burn more calories because their body has to work harder to regulate the body temperature if the water is colder. But don't swim in water that is FREEZING. You could get hypothermia!

I can say that the water is not freezing, as in - the ice is gone. The water is still going to be really cold, not "come in - the water is great!" I checked some charts about hypothermia, and I will not know the water temp. until I get there. Unfortunately the lake is 3 hours away. I can expect the water to be AT LEAST 4 degree's c. If not, I will not be able to do the swim due to the high chance of hypo.

I was asking because I would think since the body is in cold water, it would not be able to warm up - thus not having as high of a calorie burn. Thought I would check, and ended up with a bunch of sarcastic responses (which hey - this is MFP.) I am very grateful for the decent and informative responses, the rest - luckily I am able to hit ignore on the users from here on out!

Thanks again for your response, whatever that may be!

The calorie burn from exercise is mainly from movement. And the body will shiver to try to maintain a constant temperature, increasing the calorie burn slightly.

Your muscles "warming up" has little to do with that.

Oh thank you! I kind of thought that perhaps sweating and body heat contribute to the amount of calories burnt.

Erm, I'm still not sure whether some of this is tongue in cheek or not. Assuming it is serious, first off, even 50 degree F water can suck the heat out of you relatively quickly, 4 degree C water is very dangerous, just being in it you would burn calories trying to maintain temperature...before you fail and become hypothermic. Muscles do not burn less calories if they are that much cooler, in fact possibly they burn slightly more doing the same work, since a cooler muscle is going to be less efficient, but it depends of course on how cool they get and change dependent on the temperature of the muscle. Yes sweating does burn calories but its negligible compared to moving under your own muscle power, and overall the body attempting to maintain temperature is going to cause an increased rather than reduced burn. The problem is as you cool, the body will start to shut down circulation to those muscles in an attempt to keep your brain and internal organs alive, causing them to become less and even less efficient, but later also less available energy to use to move until you cant really move your arms enough...

Thank you for more detail into this!

Azdak

you'll burn twice as many calories if you sleep with your hands in warm water.

Only because you have to get up and pee every 20 minutes.

3dogsrunning

I can say that the water is not freezing, as in - the ice is gone. The water is still going to be really cold, not "come in - the water is great!" I checked some charts about hypothermia, and I will not know the water temp. until I get there. Unfortunately the lake is 3 hours away. I can expect the water to be AT LEAST 4 degree's c. If not, I will not be able to do the swim due to the high chance of hypo.

I was asking because I would think since the body is in cold water, it would not be able to warm up - thus not having as high of a calorie burn. Thought I would check, and ended up with a bunch of sarcastic responses (which hey - this is MFP.) I am very grateful for the decent and informative responses, the rest - luckily I am able to hit ignore on the users from here on out!

Thanks again for your response, whatever that may be!

You expect the water to be around 4 degrees Celsius? I hope you are planning on wearing a wet suit?

A swimming wetsuit will not help in those temps.
For reference - ITU rules make a wetsuit mandatory for temps below 16 C for distances of 1500m (1.5 km) or more (14 C for the shorter distances). They also require the swim to be cancelled for under 13 C and shortened for temps just over that.

But yeah, cold burns a few more calories, sweating/losing heat actually does not.

I should also add that there are maximum time limits related to temperature too.

Dogwalkingirl

I have been a swimmer all my life and live in Ontario. I have done polar bear swims (Jan 1st tradition) and jumped in water they still had ice floating on the top etc. I have swam long distances in pretty chilly water but with training (and many with wet suits). You are at a risk of hypothermia in water A LOT warmer then 4C...more like 10C can cause hypothermia. I hope you have done your research and know what you are doing.

shmerek

Does it STILL burn calories?

No, swimming in freezing water stopped burning calories back in 1997.

hahaha

yogicarl

4 degrees C?

No way is there an event anywhere that would be held at that temperature in open water.

Yes - swimming in colder water prompts the body to burn more calories to maintain core body warmth.

wheird

I'm fairly sure that sweating doesn't burn calories

FitOldMomma

I have no idea about the science of swimming in cold vs warm water, but what I do know is when I swim in the cool pool at my community center it makes me WANT to move more and move faster to stay warm. There are two pools, one is heated to a much warmer temperature for older people and those with arthritis and one regular deep pool used mostly for lap swimming that is much colder.
I've noticed I much prefer the cooler pool for swimming laps and doing aerobics. The warmer pool is nice to do stretches and resistance exercises.
Some people can be pretty sarcastic, lol.

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

Erm, I'm still not sure whether some of this is tongue in cheek or not. Assuming it is serious, first off, even 50 degree F water can suck the heat out of you relatively quickly, 4 degree C water is very dangerous, just being in it you would burn calories trying to maintain temperature...before you fail and become hypothermic. Muscles do not burn less calories if they are that much cooler, in fact possibly they burn slightly more doing the same work, since a cooler muscle is going to be less efficient, but it depends of course on how cool they get and change dependent on the temperature of the muscle. Yes sweating does burn calories but its negligible compared to moving under your own muscle power, and overall the body attempting to maintain temperature is going to cause an increased rather than reduced burn. The problem is as you cool, the body will start to shut down circulation to those muscles in an attempt to keep your brain and internal organs alive, causing them to become less and even less efficient, but later also less available energy to use to move until you cant really move your arms enough...

Thank you for more detail into this!
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Yw, I would really advise you not to do it, generally nobody even attempts that other than a "polar bear" shock type thing if its easy to get in/out quickly...

I'm fairly sure that sweating doesn't burn calories

It definitely does, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 more calories/hr during exercise, its just small. Especially negligible compared exercise combined while to trying to maintain a core body temperature. Hopefully nobody is going to go to a sauna for hours and try to log it though :P

joanthemom8

All I can say is, how can you stand to swim in cold water? We have our own built-in pool - it's very large and too expensive to heat with our gas pool heater. As much as I like swimming, I can't stand to get in the water when it's too cold. I just can't tolerate being that cold.

dbmata

does swimming in cold water still burn *as many* calories as it would in warmer/normal water temperature in a lake? (as I believe it will be harder for my muscles to warm up, etc.)

Yes, miss.

jofjltncb6

OP, have you trained for this type of swimming? I mean, have you acclimated your body to submersion in near-freezing water? In my experience, this is something that has to be practiced to prevent you totally freaking out about it when you get in the water.

Best of luck.

ETA: And for what it's worth, (and admittedly from memory), the body actually burns more calories while attempting to regulate core body temperature *in either direction*. So yes, exercising in extreme heat also happens to burn a few more calories as does exercising in extreme cold. Dr. Jack Kruse has some interesting opinions on cold water submersion...however, I'm not entirely sure that guy isn't completely bat shurlit crazy.

SinCityFit

Uhm, it burns MORE The body always wants to be at homeostasis. If you are cold it expends calories warming you up. Same reason drinking really cold water makes you burn some calories (and hey even 5 calories a day is half a lb a year without lifting a finger).