Hot humid weather = more calories burned?

no

I've wondered this too. I know that sweating more just means your body is cooling you down, not burning more calories or anything, BUT when I go running in the summer I have to work a LOT harder to do the same exercise as I do when it's more moderate outside. Last weekend I ran a route that I run all the time when it's cooler out and have no problem, but the heat made it so much harder to complete. Am I burning more calories because I'm working harder due to the heat? I mean, I'm not gonna log it differently or eat more to compensate or anything, I'm just kinda curious.

You acutally burn more calories in cold weather just maintaining body temperature.

You acutally burn more calories in cold weather just maintaining body temperature.

Not noticeably, your body warms up very quickly. If you're cold & shivering vs standing around at a comfortable temperature then yes you'd be burning more (The Canadian Army did some fairly extensive research on the caloric needs of soldiers operating in arctic environments, and the differences were surprisingly small)

My own (anecdotal, sample of 1) observation is that I don't burn an appreciably higher number of calories running in winter compared to summer (that could change if I ran naked, but that's not about to happen....)

no, you don't burn more calories.
(unfortunately) b/c i too live in a very humid environment.

be sure to drink A TON of water!

No. Doing the same workout at the same Intensity burns the same amount of calories. It may feel harder but it's not.

People report higher burns with HRMs however heat and humidity are two factors that affect accuracy of HRMs.


"• Numerous confounding factors affect the HR response to PA and therefore the HR vs. VO2 relationship.
These include high ambient temperature or humidity, time of day, emotional state/stress, fatigue, hydration status, food, caffeine and nicotine intake, previous PA, illness, body position, mode of exercise and use of limbs. "

Reference in this link
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/773451-is-my-hrm-giving-me-incorrect-calorie-burn

All it means is that you need to be more aware of staying hydrated in hot humid weather---

May I add that you should be even more aware in hot dry weather. You may not observe yourself sweating as much as you would in a humid environment, but you are sweating at least as much possibly more. It is just the sweat is evaporating rather than sitting on the skin as is the case in humid locales. So, since you don't notice how much you are sweating it is very easy to suffer from dehydration.

Excellent point! I wish I lived somewhere with ht dry weather!:happy:

I always assumed it was because of heat and the muscles or the purported cleansing effects of sweating not for calories burned. I've never really looked closely at it though.

That would make sense.

I've never looked into it either - it sounds horrible.

I'm not a doctor, so I may be wrong about this, but my understanding is that you do not burn more calories in hotter weather although you may be sweating more. You may feel like you are working harder if dehydration is a factor. Fatigue and increased heart rate are two side effects of dehydration that can lead to this impression.

Typically you will burn less in hot weather as you cannot sustain the same level of intensity for as long as you do in cooler weather.

hmm.. along the same lines.. do you burn more caloires at higher altitudes?? Since you do have to work harder, with the thinner air, to do the same exercises? I cant' run here.. but I can run forever at sea level..

Just curious..

Then why all the hype with bikram yoga?

Because people who aren't well versed in physiology, take the word of someone who purports it burns tons of calories.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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i wish

I seem to be able to lose weight easier in hot humid weather. I feel I burn more calories trying to keep cool. But, I can't prove anything other than my scale moves faster in summer heat.