Running vs Swimming

rverbik1
rverbik1 Posts: 2 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I was logging my exercise today and noticed that MFP was giving me credit for burning more calories then the same amount of time for running. I always thought the opposite was true. I've been running more then swimming and I'm wondering if I have that backwards.

Replies

  • jdjefferson
    jdjefferson Posts: 55 Member
    Interesting.
    Maybe you should read this: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/21/health/run-vs-swim-statistician-says-the-score-is-in.html
    It's a little dated, but maybe has some good info...

    A quick quote from the article: "Given the ratios [relative speeds of running versus swimming] he [Dr. Wainer] found for swimmers and runners, as well as measurements of oxygen consumption, Dr. Wainer deduced that champion swimmers burn 25 percent more calories than runners in a given time."

    A quick Google search will give you some interesting information.
  • rverbik1
    rverbik1 Posts: 2 Member
    That article makes sense but contradicts what I've read else where. Doing a google search most pages come back with the opposite. Maybe I'll do an experiment and switch for a month or two and see how it affects my weight.
  • jdjefferson
    jdjefferson Posts: 55 Member
    Yeah, there's a lot of info out there (some of it better than others). I guess the biggest factor is that swimming uses more muscles than running (?) and water resistance is up to 12x greater than air (I cannot quote a source on this, but it sounds plausible). It goes against everything I have known to be true, but I suppose a vigorous swim would burn more calories over the same period than a run.
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
    I know for me - it depends on the type of swimming and running I'm doing. I use an HRM and have found that when I'm doing intense sprints in the pool (all freestyle) for about an hour I do burn more calories than a typical daily run about an hour. It's about the same if I'm running sprints. It's a lot less in the pool if I'm simply swimming as a recovery for a tough workout. I think the bottom line really is about the intensity vs which activity you're doing. I find that I work harder in the pool because I don't do it as much so it's more of a shock for my body.
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