Wtaching horror movies burns calories

BerryH

Or in English "Watching horror movies burns calories " :blushing:

From The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/oct/29/horror-movies-help-burn-calories

Scare yourself thin: horror movies help burn calories, study finds.

Researchers discover watching horror films can help you burn equivalent of a chocolate bar, with The Shining burning most.

Watching scary movies can help you burn the calorific equivalent of a small chocolate bar, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Westminster.

Those who watched a 90-minute horror film were likely to burn up to 113 calories – the same sort of figure as a half-hour walk. Some movies were more effective than others, however: of the 10 films studied, the top calorie-burners were the classic Stanley Kubrick chiller The Shining (184 calories), Jaws (161 calories) and The Exorcist (158 calories).

The study found that films with regular "jump-scare" moments were most likely to help burn calories because they increased the heart rate dramatically. "Each of the 10 films tested set pulses racing, sparking an increase in the heart rate of the case studies," said Dr Richard Mackenzie, senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the university. "As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline. It is this release of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or in this case, brought on by fear), which is known to lower the appetite, increase the basal metabolic rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories."

Scientists measured heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output for the study, which was commissioned by the movie rental firm Lovefilm. They discovered that the number of calories used increased, on average, by a third during the screenings.

"We all know the feeling of wanting to hide behind the sofa or grab a pillow when watching scary or hair-raising scenes," said Lovefilm editor Helen Cowley. "But this research suggests that maybe those seeking to burn some calories should keep their eyes on the screen."

Top 10 energy-burning scary movies

1. The Shining: 184 calories
2. Jaws: 161 calories
3. The Exorcist: 158 calories
4. Alien: 152 calories
5. Saw: 133 calories
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street: 118 calories
7. Paranormal Activity: 111 calories
8. The Blair Witch Project: 105 calories
9. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 107 calories
10. [Rec]: 101 calories

I suspect The Shining burns most just because it's so bloody long :laugh:

BerryH

Curses, why can't edit titles? :laugh:

Anyway, don't forget to eat back your scarecise calories!

WinnerVictorious

you know that just sitting on the couch for 2 hours staring at the ceiling burns 1/12th of your daily metabolic needs too, right?

not trying to be a complete wet blanket, but as an engineer, junk science passed off a real science by the media kinda bothers me. anything that raises your heart rate for a few moments (being scared by a neighbors dog, being anxious about a test, etc.) probably also burns an extra 10 or 20 calories, but let's be honest, that's a 3 or 4 grapes. that's hardly a strategy for weight loss. i can't believe some poor taxpayer somewhere had to pay for a study to show that watching a horror movie can burn off 3 or 4 grapes above and beyond just staring at a wall. my problem isn't with you, so i'm not trying to be a jerk. i just don't like the critical error of omission that the article commits by not listing how many calories you burn just sitting there not watching anything.

Krizzle4Rizzle

Bumping for the fun of it.

UsedToBeHusky

Is this because of increased heart rate?

ValerieMartini2Olives

Too bad the odds that you're going to eat a bag of popcorn or something will completely negate the calories you burn as you watch the movie.

MinnieInMaine

LOL - fun facts! I kind of believe it too!! A good scare will have my heart racing, palms sweating and I'm way more fidgety than usual. Eek!

BerryH

Is this because of increased heart rate?

The study used heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output, the standard factors for lab-based calories calculations. Heart rate alone would be inaccurate as the algorithms used are based on the elevated heart rate being due to sustained aerobic exercise.

Not as good as actually getting off your *kitten*, but an increase of a third extra calories burned is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

ErinBeth7

Someone should wear their HRM during one of those movies listed and see how much they burn.

BerryH

Repeat post.