Working out in the heat of summer.

arewethereyet

I was curious if I would burn more calories working out different times fo the day, say 2pm vs 7pm.

My friend is a trainer who suggested I move my elliptical machine to my Florida room, as it doesnt have AC and I would burn more calories. This sounded silly and he didnt have a logical explanation, so as usual I had to see for myself.

I have the Polar F6, my new toy and put it to work.

Now I know there are many factors such as foods you ate, when you ate them, medications (try getting your heartrate up after taking anti anxiety medicine) and so on. I tried to do the same thing each day, same bf, snack, lunch, dinner....

At 7 pm I cranked up the music. I always have to start jogging 1/4 way through to get my HR up to fat burning zone(125-138) , than walk fast-15-17 minute miles. This kept my heartrate at around 135 for the 45 minute workout.

At 2 pm (92 degrees) It was a beautiful sunny day in SOFL due to hurricane Ike sucking the clouds away.
I had a VERY hard time keeping my HR down in the moderate fat burning zone, and my average HR was 148-highest 161. I kept drinking water and never felt sick/faint, but I worked my butt off.
(Baby Got Back is a great motivator song!!)

I started out going the same speed I always do, but had to slow down.

So my conclusion is you DO burn more calories in higher temperatures.

If anyone has any good information to add to this, I would be very grateful. ( BTW I moved the Elip the the Florida room today! )

arewethereyet

I was curious if I would burn more calories working out different times fo the day, say 2pm vs 7pm.

My friend is a trainer who suggested I move my elliptical machine to my Florida room, as it doesnt have AC and I would burn more calories. This sounded silly and he didnt have a logical explanation, so as usual I had to see for myself.

I have the Polar F6, my new toy and put it to work.

Now I know there are many factors such as foods you ate, when you ate them, medications (try getting your heartrate up after taking anti anxiety medicine) and so on. I tried to do the same thing each day, same bf, snack, lunch, dinner....

At 7 pm I cranked up the music. I always have to start jogging 1/4 way through to get my HR up to fat burning zone(125-138) , than walk fast-15-17 minute miles. This kept my heartrate at around 135 for the 45 minute workout.

At 2 pm (92 degrees) It was a beautiful sunny day in SOFL due to hurricane Ike sucking the clouds away.
I had a VERY hard time keeping my HR down in the moderate fat burning zone, and my average HR was 148-highest 161. I kept drinking water and never felt sick/faint, but I worked my butt off.
(Baby Got Back is a great motivator song!!)

I started out going the same speed I always do, but had to slow down.

So my conclusion is you DO burn more calories in higher temperatures.

If anyone has any good information to add to this, I would be very grateful. ( BTW I moved the Elip the the Florida room today! )

yoginimary

Though i was not nearly as scientific, I've noticed the same thing. I also think Bikram yoga is a good example of this. The poses aren't much harder, but you definitely burn more when it's warm. I'm still not going for a walk when it's 100 degrees out though!

songbyrdsweet

LOL....yet another trainer who probably graduated highschool and used the $300 from his graduation party to take the ACE exam. :-P

Unfortunately, most trainers forget about that neat stuff called 'physiology' and start using 'anecdote' instead. He's probably banking on the fact that you'll feel more fatigued and sweaty than normal, which leads most people to think they're burning more calories, when in fact they're just rapidly dehydrating, causing the blood to become more viscous so the heart has to pump more vigorously to circulate it. It's similar to jumping in the sauna to lose fat--it doesn't happen. We cool almost entirely passively. After vasodilation occurs to widen the arteries and capillaries to allow the blood more room to flow and keep it closer to the skin, everything else happens on its own. We don't burn extra calories when our blood is cooled by the external temperature, and we don't burn extra calories when we sweat; that is simply a by-product of reactions that are already occuring. We don't burn extra when it evaporates, either.

If you want to run naked when it's 14 degrees out, that will indeed increase your BMR because you have to actively heat yourself.

Exercising in any extreme makes little sense in terms of safety.

yoginimary

LOL....yet another trainer who probably graduated highschool and used the $300 from his graduation party to take the ACE exam. :-P

Unfortunately, most trainers forget about that neat stuff called 'physiology' and start using 'anecdote' instead. He's probably banking on the fact that you'll feel more fatigued and sweaty than normal, which leads most people to think they're burning more calories, when in fact they're just rapidly dehydrating, causing the blood to become more viscous so the heart has to pump more vigorously to circulate it. It's similar to jumping in the sauna to lose fat--it doesn't happen. We cool almost entirely passively. After vasodilation occurs to widen the arteries and capillaries to allow the blood more room to flow and keep it closer to the skin, everything else happens on its own. We don't burn extra calories when our blood is cooled by the external temperature, and we don't burn extra calories when we sweat; that is simply a by-product of reactions that are already occuring. We don't burn extra when it evaporates, either.

If you want to run naked when it's 14 degrees out, that will indeed increase your BMR because you have to actively heat yourself.

Exercising in any extreme makes little sense in terms of safety.

So, correct me please, but you are saying that, say when I do yoga outside (say 95 degree shade) and the HRM shows I burn 100 more calories than when I'm in the A/C, the HRM is wrong?

GoGetterMom

Don't forget about motivation. Can be good for some, but I know personally - my gym was without A/C this summer in the cardio room and I just coudn't enjoy myself. If you are OK mentally with working out in the heat and feel OK afterward, probably will burn a bit more calories. However, if the heat just "sucks the life out of you" (like me) and you just can't seem to get your mojo on, it may not be worth it.

ohthatbambi

I burn more calories in the heat. If I walk early (pre light) vs afternoon....HUGE difference in my hr according to HRM, but it is also much more pleasant in the cool hours of the morning. So sometimes I just do both!!!

arewethereyet

Though i was not nearly as scientific, I've noticed the same thing. I also think Bikram yoga is a good example of this. The poses aren't much harder, but you definitely burn more when it's warm. I'm still not going for a walk when it's 100 degrees out though!

ahhh. now that you mention it my friend keeps inviting me to do this. Maybe I will try..if my doctor allows. I have a neck injury and I know they do a lot of neck work. Thanks.

arewethereyet

Don't forget about motivation. Can be good for some, but I know personally - my gym was without A/C this summer in the cardio room and I just coudn't enjoy myself. If you are OK mentally with working out in the heat and feel OK afterward, probably will burn a bit more calories. However, if the heat just "sucks the life out of you" (like me) and you just can't seem to get your mojo on, it may not be worth it.

yes this is true. I was thinking that when I got out of my car and it was 92 degrees, bright sunny. I thought " Ok I will try this, but if I feel sick or faint, home I go" I was ok so continued with 2 mile walk.

I just found it very interesting. I had to call my trainer friend and apologize.

arewethereyet

LOL....yet another trainer who probably graduated highschool and used the $300 from his graduation party to take the ACE exam. :-P

Unfortunately, most trainers forget about that neat stuff called 'physiology' and start using 'anecdote' instead. He's probably banking on the fact that you'll feel more fatigued and sweaty than normal, which leads most people to think they're burning more calories, when in fact they're just rapidly dehydrating, causing the blood to become more viscous so the heart has to pump more vigorously to circulate it. It's similar to jumping in the sauna to lose fat--it doesn't happen. We cool almost entirely passively. After vasodilation occurs to widen the arteries and capillaries to allow the blood more room to flow and keep it closer to the skin, everything else happens on its own. We don't burn extra calories when our blood is cooled by the external temperature, and we don't burn extra calories when we sweat; that is simply a by-product of reactions that are already occuring. We don't burn extra when it evaporates, either.

If you want to run naked when it's 14 degrees out, that will indeed increase your BMR because you have to actively heat yourself.

Exercising in any extreme makes little sense in terms of safety.

So, correct me please, but you are saying that, say when I do yoga outside (say 95 degree shade) and the HRM shows I burn 100 more calories than when I'm in the A/C, the HRM is wrong?

hmmm. I can only say I burned 30-40% more calories with a less intense workout. The HRM doesnt lie. Of course I do understand that physiologically our bodies burn the same amount of calories at the same HR. My point was that you get to that point quicker. I wont pretend to know why (but I will research it later). My guess is the opposite of the naked runner in the cold temp, my body had to work harder to keep cool? Does this make sense?
(also I was very careful to drink 32 oz of water while walking)

songbyrdsweet

LOL....yet another trainer who probably graduated highschool and used the $300 from his graduation party to take the ACE exam. :-P

Unfortunately, most trainers forget about that neat stuff called 'physiology' and start using 'anecdote' instead. He's probably banking on the fact that you'll feel more fatigued and sweaty than normal, which leads most people to think they're burning more calories, when in fact they're just rapidly dehydrating, causing the blood to become more viscous so the heart has to pump more vigorously to circulate it. It's similar to jumping in the sauna to lose fat--it doesn't happen. We cool almost entirely passively. After vasodilation occurs to widen the arteries and capillaries to allow the blood more room to flow and keep it closer to the skin, everything else happens on its own. We don't burn extra calories when our blood is cooled by the external temperature, and we don't burn extra calories when we sweat; that is simply a by-product of reactions that are already occuring. We don't burn extra when it evaporates, either.

If you want to run naked when it's 14 degrees out, that will indeed increase your BMR because you have to actively heat yourself.

Exercising in any extreme makes little sense in terms of safety.

So, correct me please, but you are saying that, say when I do yoga outside (say 95 degree shade) and the HRM shows I burn 100 more calories than when I'm in the A/C, the HRM is wrong?

hmmm. I can only say I burned 30-40% more calories with a less intense workout. The HRM doesnt lie. Of course I do understand that physiologically our bodies burn the same amount of calories at the same HR. My point was that you get to that point quicker. I wont pretend to know why (but I will research it later). My guess is the opposite of the naked runner in the cold temp, my body had to work harder to keep cool? Does this make sense?
(also I was very careful to drink 32 oz of water while walking)

No, the HRM can't lie, but it can only estimate, because calories burnt are only according to HR. That's not the deciding factor in total output, and producers of those products will even admit a margin of error. While you may experience a marginal increase (maybe a couple calories) due to the increased HR (because each heart beat will use an infinitesimal amount of calories), a 30% increase simply isn't accurate. If you give me your BMR and average daily HR, I could even do the math.

A more accurate estimation would require the use of metabolic equivalents (METs), the ratio of of a person's working MR to their BMR. Your BMR is considered baseline, or one MET. At higher METs, or difficulties, your average calories burnt in a certain period of time increase. This is independent of HR and based on O2 consumption instead (because really, O2 consumption is the determining factor in your metabolic rate since O2 seems only to be used at the end of the ATP production cycle).

Here's an analogy: Someone gives you a shot of adrenaline while you're sleeping and elevates your HR. Are you going to burn 30% more calories than before you got the shot while still lying motionless? No, because you're sleeping, so you're at 1 MET. You'd have to get out of bed and run around to surpass that one MET, or your oxygen consumption doesn't change. Your heart beating faster doesn't increase your overall oxygen consumption to that degree.

HR monitors are great, motivational tools, but they are still estimates. If HR was the only factor that determined caloric burn, we could all just abuse stimulants and sleep all day and be ripped.

(Long-term exposure to any extreme temperature will slightly increase the BMR, but 92 degrees isn't hot enough and one session isn't long enough. We actively heat our bodies by shivering, so exercising in the cold would result in a few extra calories burned. But if you're that cold while exercising, you're not doing it safely. None of these practices results in enough of a true increase in calories to be worth someone's health.)

yoginimary

Though i was not nearly as scientific, I've noticed the same thing. I also think Bikram yoga is a good example of this. The poses aren't much harder, but you definitely burn more when it's warm. I'm still not going for a walk when it's 100 degrees out though!

ahhh. now that you mention it my friend keeps inviting me to do this. Maybe I will try..if my doctor allows. I have a neck injury and I know they do a lot of neck work. Thanks.

I'm not a fan of Bikram (neither the hot yoga or the man) - but it's just not for me, some people love it. As long as you can keep you neck lifted and in line with your spine (when you tilt to the side or do a backbend), I didn't see any poses in the series that would hurt your neck. Here's the series, if you are curious (scroll down the page):
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/bikram-yoga.htm

yoginimary

Here's an analogy: Someone gives you a shot of adrenaline while you're sleeping and elevates your HR. Are you going to burn 30% more calories than before you got the shot while still lying motionless? No, because you're sleeping, so you're at 1 MET. You'd have to get out of bed and run around to surpass that one MET, or your oxygen consumption doesn't change. Your heart beating faster doesn't increase your overall oxygen consumption to that degree.

That answers my long wondered question of: which burns more, scary movies or funny ones? Pretty much the same I would say.

arewethereyet

thanks for all the info, that all makes perfect sense, and I am glad.

I really didnt enjoy working out in the hot sun (other than getting a tan!) And the guys who don't work go sit at the park and google.goggle. what ever they yell...hey ma-mi!! NOW I would love to take that as a compliment, and I would if they werent riding their kids bikes to the park and drinking beer all day!! :drinker: :smokin: :devil:

AND I am putting a fan in my 'work out' room :ohwell:

arewethereyet

Though i was not nearly as scientific, I've noticed the same thing. I also think Bikram yoga is a good example of this. The poses aren't much harder, but you definitely burn more when it's warm. I'm still not going for a walk when it's 100 degrees out though!

ahhh. now that you mention it my friend keeps inviting me to do this. Maybe I will try..if my doctor allows. I have a neck injury and I know they do a lot of neck work. Thanks.

I'm not a fan of Bikram (neither the hot yoga or the man) - but it's just not for me, some people love it. As long as you can keep you neck lifted and in line with your spine (when you tilt to the side or do a backbend), I didn't see any poses in the series that would hurt your neck. Here's the series, if you are curious (scroll down the page):
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/bikram-yoga.htm

i will check it out-thanks.

arewethereyet

Though i was not nearly as scientific, I've noticed the same thing. I also think Bikram yoga is a good example of this. The poses aren't much harder, but you definitely burn more when it's warm. I'm still not going for a walk when it's 100 degrees out though!

ahhh. now that you mention it my friend keeps inviting me to do this. Maybe I will try..if my doctor allows. I have a neck injury and I know they do a lot of neck work. Thanks.

I'm not a fan of Bikram (neither the hot yoga or the man) - but it's just not for me, some people love it. As long as you can keep you neck lifted and in line with your spine (when you tilt to the side or do a backbend), I didn't see any poses in the series that would hurt your neck. Here's the series, if you are curious (scroll down the page):
http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/bikram-yoga.htm

i will check it out-thanks.

Ok I am now officially scared of yoga. I am just getting to be able to bend at the waist and touch the ground after hanging for a minute! ( do NOT let my DH see that web site or he will sign me up TOMORROW!!)

songbyrdsweet

thanks for all the info, that all makes perfect sense, and I am glad.

I really didnt enjoy working out in the hot sun (other than getting a tan!) And the guys who don't work go sit at the park and google.goggle. what ever they yell...hey ma-mi!! NOW I would love to take that as a compliment, and I would if they werent riding their kids bikes to the park and drinking beer all day!! :drinker: :smokin: :devil:

AND I am putting a fan in my 'work out' room :ohwell:

You're welcome LOL I just got the image of some middle-aged man riding a pink unicorn bike and chugging a fifth :laugh:

I do want to say...I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble! It's important to work out in a way that makes you happy. I just want to make sure everyone is working out in a way that is SAFE.

You will hear a lot of different things from different trainers, and some will sound really cool. But the problem with PT's (and I say this as a person to wantED to be one) is that they don't need a formal education to become PT's, and most fail to do any REAL research because of that fact. As my exercise Rx teacher says, "At some point in you're career, you're going to fall off a cliff. You'll one day realize that nothing you 'know' has any basis in science, and you'll have to start at the bottom again." It's just so easy to pick up anecdotal ideas and pass them off as fact when you have a certification under your belt.

So the next time your trainer can't explain something, they probably don't know it well enough to try and teach it. And go get that fan girl! :flowerforyou:

shorerider

I wish saunas burnt calories! I love them and could sit in there for hours. I've read arguments for and against them burning anything but pretty much think that you're sitting there, doing nothing, so it can't be burning that much if anything.

arewethereyet

Ok so I remember, many moons ago, when my mother and I went to the neighbor ladies house for coffee (uh, high ball more like it) in the afternoon.

She had this contraption in her Florida room with a belt that went around your waist. After a few cups of 'coffee' my mom put the strap around her waist and turned it on. It vibrated and shook my momma's tush! The neighbor lady said it would make my mom lose weight (my mom never weighed over 110!)

I am LOL right now remembering my tipsy mom laughing and jiggling on that darn thing!

Now if THAT worked, I would be in!

shorerider

Oh yeah! I remember those, too!

arewethereyet

now youse made me cry I miss me ol ma.

LOL