calorie burn- this may seem like a stupid question but...

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diadojikohei
diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does your calorie burn drop as you get fitter?

Would I (female 47, 30% body fat, Very unfit) burn the same amount of calories doing the same thing for the same time as, say Mrs fit bod, 22% fat?

For example if we both walked 40 minutes at 4.5 mph, and she's be as fresh as a daisy and I'd be a sweaty mess. Would our calorific burn be equal?

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  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    No. As you get fitter, it takes less energy and therefore burns less calories to do the same workout.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    ^^^ This. MFP takes your weight loss into account and calculates fewer calories burned as you get lighter. Fitness is better tracked using a heart-rate monitor or your rate of perceived exertion, to make sure you're pushing yourself as hard doing the same exercise as when you were less fit.
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
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    I would second what Lauren3101 says. When I updated my weight on my HRM recently it showed that doing the same circuit or running the same time burned less calories.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    For example if we both walked 40 minutes at 4.5 mph, and she's be as fresh as a daisy and I'd be a sweaty mess. Would our calorific burn be equal?

    If you were the same weight and age, then theoretically you would burn the same calories. Because she is fitter, she doesn't have to work as hard. So she is not burning the amount of calories she would if she were working out hard, like you are doing the same work out.

    If you research METS (metabolic equivalent of Task) That should explain it.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    As your weight drops you burn less, as you age you burn less, as your fitness level increases your burn less. Up side is that you are lighter and fitter so having huge calorie burns isn't important because you're no longer overweight and trying to lose! Can't do anything about getting older but being old and fit has definitely got to be better than old and fat.
  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
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    Thank you! That makes sense! So when I get to my 147/25% bf goal, do i have to exercise more to be able to eat the same amount of food? Or will my body be using less calories?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Every 10lbs MFP will recalculate your daily calories to a lower number. How you stay under that new goal - eating less and/or exercising more - is up to you.
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
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    Yes You are moving less mass. You can make up some of that by increasing your muscle mass since muscle tissue burns more than fat cells as you exercise. Unfortunately that also means you have to eat fewer calories to maintain or lose weight. My daily calorie burn is about 1400 calories ( without additional cardio exercise) so I have to take that into account.
  • guardian419
    guardian419 Posts: 391 Member
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    Calorie burn drops as you get fitter if you keep doing the same thing...

    The great thing about getting into better shape is, you can do more, and INCREASE your calorie burns. Instead of walking at a 4mph pace, you can move to jogging at a 6mph pace, or running at an 8mph pace, and maintain that for longer and longer periods of time :)
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    I actually eat more now that i'm closer to goal because I don't have to create such a big deficit. But sadly yes you do have less of a calorie burn. Wearing my HRM, I used to burn an easy 150 calories in 15 minutes on the stairmaster, now i'm lucky if I burn 120 calories in 15 minutes, that's around 120 less calories an hour (sniff sniff).
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
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    Metabolism is the process in which our bodies convert food (fuel) into energy (glucose). Every cell in our body needs energy to operate. This includes cells of the heart, lungs, digestive organs, muscles, and brain. The more work they do, the more energy they expend, and the faster our rate of metabolism.

    Our resting metabolic rate, RMR (which is used interchangeably with basal metabolic rate, BMR), tells us how many calories we need to maintain our body at rest.

    Our RMR accounts for 50 to 75 percent of our overall metabolism, and is mostly inherited. Men burn calories faster due to more muscle tissue and therefore have a higher metabolism. Adults experience a 5% decrease in metabolic rate each decade beginning at 40 years old, due to a decrease in muscle mass.

    Metabolism can also drop with rapid weight loss. The more weight we carry, the faster our metabolism because our body is working hard to sustain itself. When we cut calories by 20% or more, our metabolism will drop. This is why it’s easier to lose weight at the start of a diet, and harder later on. When we lose significant amounts of body fat and muscle, our body needs fewer calories to sustain itself, which is why it’s so easy to regain weight after we’ve lost it.

    So what’s the most effective way to increase the 25-50% of our metabolic rate that is within our control?
    1.Weight train 2-3 times per week. Strength training boosts your metabolism in the long run because muscles burn more calories than fat. A pound of muscle at rest burns about 40 to 50 calories a day, whereas a pound of fat burns only about two calories a day. Therefore the more muscle you have, the faster you burn calories.
    2.Get cardio exercise 3 days per week. Cardio training boosts your metabolism temporarily. With any aerobic exercise, it’s important to raise your heart rate and sustain the activity for approximately thirty minutes.
    3.Eat a diet high in protein and fiber. Protein and fiber take longer for your body to process than refined sugars and complex carbs. This not only keeps you full longer, but also burns more calories in the longer digestion process.
    4.Drink water consistently throughout the day. Drinking water helps your body flush out toxins and waste. Studies also suggest that consistently drinking water can lead to a more active metabolism, regardless of dieting.

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