Kinda a stupid question....I think?!

Jeepinmom4
Jeepinmom4 Posts: 298 Member
edited September 27 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok I just rode my bike for 45 min and it's idk like 55 degrees here rite now. Iorient sweat but a tiny bit but the website says I should have burned 618 calories? Is that rite? If I don't sweat I still burn calories? I know I know it's probably a dumb question but I'm just curious. Would I have burned more if it were like 76-80 degrees?

Replies

  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    1) you don't have to sweat to be burning calores

    2) your body works harder in colder temps than warm. you could increase your burn by very little if you exercise in cold temps (55F) instead of warm (80F) because your body is trying to maintain the 98.6F on the inside when it is so chilly outside.


    So anyhow, that 618 seems a teeny bit high to me, but it might be correct too :)
  • redmessenger
    redmessenger Posts: 31 Member
    temperture is not part of the equation. Its all about heart rate. The higher your heart rate the more calories you burn. The higher the heart rate the more you will sweat. Keep in mind that when you ride bike outdoors, you have the wind to keep your body cool. I perosnaly use a heart rate monitor whenever I excercise to get an exact calorie count.

    Hope this helps. Good luck
  • SarahWrittenThin
    SarahWrittenThin Posts: 595 Member
    you still burn calories if you don't sweat.
  • Strambo
    Strambo Posts: 3
    Hi Jeep,

    I think the exercises are graded on exertion. I noticed for walking, there is casual, moderate, brisk, or whatever, based on speed. 2mph is one rate of calorie burn, 3 mph is more, and so on. Read through the choices and pick the one that best matches your exertion level, and you'll be pretty close!

    You go girl! More power to ya!

    -Strambo
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    Well, I live in the desert where it is REALLY HOT in the summer.....we have to walk or bike before the sun comes up or it will already be over 90!!

    What I notice is that - and I have a heart rate monitor so I can see the difference, is that on HOT days, I do have to push harder and therefore my heart rate is higher and I burn more calories.

    So sweat or no sweat,the higher you get your heart rate up, the more calories you burn.

    Being smart and safe of course!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Some people break a sweat with very little exercise, before they really burn any calories. Other people don't sweat unless they're really working. It's body chemistry.

    Sweating is natures cooling system. If you're working out in cooler temp, it's likely you'll sweat less, but it has nothing to do with the kind of calories you're burning. And just because you don't sweat doesn't mean you don't need to drink water. The body uses water besides in sweating, and you may not have noticed some of the sweating, so drink plenty anyway!
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
    You're going to sweat, and you probably did, but the air was going by you so quickly that the sweat was likely evaporating before it could accumulate on your brow or clothes. One of the easiest ways to get dehydrated is to not realize you are sweating. Not a stupid question, but you probably did burn a good amount of calories, but the sweat has nothing to do with it. It is your body's way of cooling down, by causing a 'wind chill' effect on your skin. Just make sure you hydrate, and you'll be fine.
  • Jeepinmom4
    Jeepinmom4 Posts: 298 Member
    Thanks guys! Where would I get a heart rate monitor? Sounds like I need one!
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Amazon.com, sports stores, eBay, fitness websites. They can get pricey, but they are so worth the investment (I think!)

    I bought a Polar FT7 in Jan for $85 from amazon.com. Use the search option to look up reviews and info on heart rate monitors discussed here on the forums of MyFitnessPal :smile:
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 507 Member
    No worries. I CANNOT sweat... I ran for about 40 minutes today and barely got sticky while the guy on the treadmill next to me was running in a pool.
  • pauljsolie
    pauljsolie Posts: 1,024 Member
    LOL, I can break a sweat at -20F. You'd think that the easier you sweat the higher your metabolism. I wonder if there is any correlation between the two. Hmmmmm... off to the internet.
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
    Some people break a sweat with very little exercise, before they really burn any calories. Other people don't sweat unless they're really working. It's body chemistry.

    This is SO me. I unfortunately only have to "think" the word exercise and I sweat, regardless of what my heart rate is doing!!! :noway:
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    I think gender affects it, too. My husband breaks a sweat much more easily than I do, even when we are doing the same exercise. He's bigger, so he is burning more calories, too.
  • niavalentino
    niavalentino Posts: 131 Member
    Some people break a sweat with very little exercise, before they really burn any calories. Other people don't sweat unless they're really working. It's body chemistry.

    This is SO me. I unfortunately only have to "think" the word exercise and I sweat, regardless of what my heart rate is doing!!! :noway:

    AGREED! I definitely am jealous of those super pretty, skinny girls on the treadmill at the gym who wear make-up and have their hair done and they hardly break a sweat! I start sweating while just stretching! :cry:
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