Running/walking - Sweat difference.

RoyBeck
RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been steadily losing 2lb per week for 6 weeks or so and when I do my exercise 5 days per week it's been consistently the same on the treadmill. 5kph speed with an incline of 5.0. It's been serving me well but I always leave the gym feeling I could've done more and not exactly sweating. Today I stuck the treadmill on the same levels but on minutes 8-10, 18-20, 28-30 and 38-40 I lowered the incline to zero and speed upto 6.6 kph so 4 2 minute runs and at the end, and during, I could noticeably feel the difference sweat wise.

Does this mean much significantly? Was this exercise better for me than my last 4 weeks routine as I sweated?

Replies

  • CassarahW
    CassarahW Posts: 93 Member
    I'm no expert but if you are sweating and breathing heavier you are exerting more energy and burning more calories and building more muscles. Plus, you have hormones that burn fat that only get turned on during intense exercise (breathless ish and dripping sweat) so push yourself! I'm doing the C25K training program. There's free apps in Android and IPhone. It alternates walking with running for 8 weeks until you are finally running a 5K (C25K = Couch to 5K) just be kind to your knees and don't over do it.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Thanks for your reply. Today was the first time I've run in years - literally. I've been building my fitness up on the treadmill over the past few weeks but like I said I've left the gym these past 2 weeks or so feeling like I could've done more hence the step up today.

    I'm planning on following my own programme opposed to the c25k one for now and sticking with the 2 minute run for 3 more occasions before stepping up to 3 minutes on Tuesday of next week. I'm planning on running 1k without stopping in 2 weeks time and really building from there.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Sorry forgot to ask - walking is one of the best methods of exercise but will running BUILD muscle?
  • oldmanrivererik
    oldmanrivererik Posts: 28 Member
    Think of it this way..it should take the same amount of energy to move a given weight a given distance. The difference between running and walking is that you cover more distance over a given period of time so you are burning more energy in that given amount of time. I realize this is probably not exact but theoretically it should be true. We always equate sweating and breathing hard with burning energy but its really a function of the respiratory system. You burn the same amount of energy at a slower pace as you do the quicker pace. The quicker pace does it in a shorter period of time and consequently causes the shortness of breath and the build up of heat which is regulated by sweating.

    If I am wrong someone please correct me. This is the way I have always understood it.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I don't think running builds muscle but it will make you stronger. From what I understand, it's hard to build muscle on a calorie deficit.

    If you feel like you could do more, up your pace every 4 mins for say 5 times, basically, interval training. This will get your heart rate up, sweat, and condition you to run faster as you build your endurance.

    Edited to add: when you up your pace for that interval training, up the speed for about 2 mins 5x throughout your run. If you can't do that many, do what you can. You can try it for just a min if that helps you get through.

    I have been running for a few months and run at 6.5 mph and nearly 6mph running with my toddler. If you have a heart rate monitor, you will see you heart rate go up high and as you train, your heart rate will steadily decrease because you are continuing your heart to be more efficient. When you see it drop, that's when you know to increase your pace. When you increase, your heart rate will be high again and as you train, again, it will start to go lower as you condition your heart.

    It's a great feeling when you go for a run and realise....yes, you can run faster!
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Think of it this way..it should take the same amount of energy to move a given weight a given distance. The difference between running and walking is that you cover more distance over a given period of time so you are burning more energy in that given amount of time. I realize this is probably not exact but theoretically it should be true. We always equate sweating and breathing hard with burning energy but its really a function of the respiratory system. You burn the same amount of energy at a slower pace as you do the quicker pace. The quicker pace does it in a shorter period of time and consequently causes the shortness of breath and the build up of heat which is regulated by sweating.

    If I am wrong someone please correct me. This is the way I have always understood it.

    Along the same lines, I had a running coach tell me that a good way to estimate calories burned is to assume 100 calories per mile. You can walk that mile in 20 minutes, or run it in 10, but either way you bun the same amount.

    However, when you (OP) do as you did and run fast then walk, it is called interval training. Interval training is a great way to increase your cardiovascular fitness and also helps the body continue to burn calories even after the workout. It is a small amount, but it still helps. So adding the running is never a bad thing. :)

    Is it still interval training then if I'm walking 8 mins then 2 mins running? I thought the intervals should be shorter? 100 calories per mile? That sounds generous but if you were told that by a running coach I'd like to believe it. My friend is a taxi driver and yesterday I asked him to calculate a particular local route for me which he said was 5 miles. It'll take me about 1hr15mins to walk and ill be bringing what I did on the treadmill into this. So walking most of the way the first time and slowly adding more and more running into it until I can run it.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    I don't think running builds muscle but it will make you stronger. From what I understand, it's hard to build muscle on a calorie deficit.

    If you feel like you could do more, up your pace every 4 mins for say 5 times, basically, interval training. This will get your heart rate up, sweat, and condition you to run faster as you build your endurance.

    Edited to add: when you up your pace for that interval training, up the speed for about 2 mins 5x throughout your run. If you can't do that many, do what you can. You can try it for just a min if that helps you get through.

    I have been running for a few months and run at 6.5 mph and nearly 6mph running with my toddler. If you have a heart rate monitor, you will see you heart rate go up high and as you train, your heart rate will steadily decrease because you are continuing your heart to be more efficient. When you see it drop, that's when you know to increase your pace. When you increase, your heart rate will be high again and as you train, again, it will start to go lower as you condition your heart.

    It's a great feeling when you go for a run and realise....yes, you can run faster!

    Yeah I can imagine. I'm a total newbie to running but by the 3rd 90 second jog I found it much easier than the 1st. I was running at 6.6kph (4 miles per hour roughly) but I'm quite happy with that speed for now.

    Out of interest what is a good time to aim for for a) my 1st 5k b) an average 5k for a seasoned runner?
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I started running in January so still fairly new. I also started at about 4.8mph and it was a great start. I've never done a 5k, somehow I just went to 10k. I can complete a 10k in 54 mins. I think when I run to the grocery store with my toddler that the distance is just over 5k and I did that in about 30 mins yesterday. I did have more weight to run with...my 4 year old instead of my 21 month old, lol.

    You are off to a great start but you do have to push yourself a bit each stage to keep progressing and running in your target heart rate range
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Wow excellent. So that walk I mentioned would be 500 calories as a decent estimated guess? I've got a pedometer (Pretty basic) so ill see how good that is for that walk.

    Thanks!!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Think of it this way..it should take the same amount of energy to move a given weight a given distance. The difference between running and walking is that you cover more distance over a given period of time so you are burning more energy in that given amount of time. I realize this is probably not exact but theoretically it should be true. We always equate sweating and breathing hard with burning energy but its really a function of the respiratory system. You burn the same amount of energy at a slower pace as you do the quicker pace. The quicker pace does it in a shorter period of time and consequently causes the shortness of breath and the build up of heat which is regulated by sweating.

    If I am wrong someone please correct me. This is the way I have always understood it.

    Quite mistaken. Running, on average, expends about 25% more calories per mile than walking (unless you're race walking, which burns more per mile than running but that's due to the mechanics of race walking). On average you will burn .72 x your weight in lbs per mile running vs .57 x your weight in pounds walking.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

    in addition you derive a significantly higher improvement in aerobic capacity from running than walking.
  • tuathanari
    tuathanari Posts: 38 Member
    How much you burn per whatever unit of exercise is related to your size, so I'd take the 100 cal/mile with a grain of salt.
  • moxiept
    moxiept Posts: 200 Member
    I don't sweat a lot even when I am working out really hard. I think its a genetic thing.The best way to know which is giving the most effective workout is to wear a heart rate monitor when you workout. You can purchase reasonably inexpensive ones on Amazon. I used to be really fatigued and fuzzy after aerobic activity with minimal sweat vs. energized like most people. When I started wearing a heart monitor, I discovered that my heart rate was elevating to 90 % of my maximun heart rate! One I modified my effort to stay between 60-80%, I started feeling much better and was still losing weight. Knowing how much your heart rate is increasing during activity can help you better judge how much you need to push it during exercise.

    Even doing 8 min walk/ 2 min runs is considered interval training, just perhaps at a beginner level. Similar to the Couch to 5k workout plan. As you get more fit, the walk/run interval can decrease or you can play with the inclines.

    Running doesn't build muscle (unless you were very weak from the start) as it is a aerobic activity. It does build endurance, increase muslce tone, cardiovascular health, and can burn lots of calories really fast. Or, Think about it this way: how many muscle bound marathon runners do you see? None
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    You burn approximately 100 calories per mile for running but if you are working hard and getting your heart rate up, you will burn more. I ran a 10k race for life on Sunday in 48 mins (think the course was not 10k) and burned 719 calories but I ran my behind off and my heart rate was in zone 5 for 47 of those mins. Not ideal for me but I'm used to pushing myself. I also have a very low resting heart rate of 46 due to running so have to work harder to get my heart rate up.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Wow 54 minutes for a 10k that's pretty impressive missy!! Not sure how you run with your kid on your back that sounds like a super workout!

    Ill have to buy a HRM but even on the treadmill I've never bothered about my heart rate I always look for distance and calories.

    I think 40 minutes maybe as a target for my first 5k? Then I can look forward to smashing it!!!
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Great post mox thanks!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    100 calories per mile? That sounds generous but if you were told that by a running coach I'd like to believe it.
    That's about right. I JUST started walking on Sunday. I do 2 miles (to the 1 mile marker at my local park and then back). Took me 44 minutes, but I burned 280 calories. Divide that in half and for me it's 140 calories per mile. Mind you, I'm obese, so I suppose your calories burned would be different if you're fitter, but it's still in the right ballpark.
  • freelancejouster
    freelancejouster Posts: 478 Member
    walking with short bursts of running is supposedly one of the fastest ways to burn calories.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I think you could easily do a 40 min 5k if you keep up with your training and you may very well smash it the first time! On your walks, once a week, add some sprints in. Even if its just 30 seconds....just run as fast as you can for as long as you can. I remember doing that and it would be the shortest distance but gradually, I was able to do it longer.

    A hrm is a great investment. I've used a basic garmin and now a polar rcx5 with GPS. Both use great calorie algorithms but the more I ran, the less I was interested in calories and the more I was interested in speed and distance.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    If I walk to the shops pushing my toddler and walk around the shops and then carry groceries back in buggy and my backpack, I can burn about 500 cals in 3 hours. I power walk up and back which totals an hour of the time. So the other 2 hours is walking around from shop to shop and browsing. I'm slow when browsing but even when going from shop to shop, I put more effort into it.

    This is according to my hrm
  • oldmanrivererik
    oldmanrivererik Posts: 28 Member
    I see. I never argued the aerobic benefits. I was looking at it from a physics standpoint. I guess I need to factor in the inefficiencies of human locomotion. Running movements must be more inefficient than walking movements in order to expend so much extra energy. I didnt really look at it from that angle until now. Thanks
  • oldmanrivererik
    oldmanrivererik Posts: 28 Member
    Think of it this way..it should take the same amount of energy to move a given weight a given distance. The difference between running and walking is that you cover more distance over a given period of time so you are burning more energy in that given amount of time. I realize this is probably not exact but theoretically it should be true. We always equate sweating and breathing hard with burning energy but its really a function of the respiratory system. You burn the same amount of energy at a slower pace as you do the quicker pace. The quicker pace does it in a shorter period of time and consequently causes the shortness of breath and the build up of heat which is regulated by sweating.

    If I am wrong someone please correct me. This is the way I have always understood it.

    Quite mistaken. Running, on average, expends about 25% more calories per mile than walking (unless you're race walking, which burns more per mile than running but that's due to the mechanics of race walking). On average you will burn .72 x your weight in lbs per mile running vs .57 x your weight in pounds walking.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

    in addition you derive a significantly higher improvement in aerobic capacity from running than walking.

    I see. I never argued the aerobic benefits. I was looking at it from a physics standpoint. I guess I need to factor in the inefficiencies of human locomotion. Running movements must be more inefficient than walking movements in order to expend so much extra energy. I didnt really look at it from that angle until now. Thanks
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Sorry forgot to ask - walking is one of the best methods of exercise but will running BUILD muscle?
    Not really.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Out of interest what is a good time to aim for for a) my 1st 5k b) an average 5k for a seasoned runner?

    Shoot for 40-45 minutes for your first 5k. My first legitimate 5k was right about there, in the middle on winter. :D Was fun even though it hurt.

    I see seasoned runners doing 5ks in the low to mid 20 minute range. My last 5k, the winner finished it in 16 and a half minutes.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    A time to strive for for a first 5k is completely different person to person and weight of course is a huge factor.

    When I first got up to running the 5k distance I ran 38:20. My first official 5k race (3 months later) was 29:52 pushing a 2 yearold in a jogging stroller. A year later my solo 5k (no stroller) pr is 28:02. But I haven't been working on 5ks, just working on getting my half marathon down to sub 2 hours.

    Just keep at it. Work on gradually increasing running time and you'll get there.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    don't use sweat or sweatiness as your guide for anything. too many outside factors are involved to make it a reliable indicator. if you're working harder then you having a greater effect on your body and sweat be damned.
    Sorry forgot to ask - walking is one of the best methods of exercise but will running BUILD muscle?

    of course not.

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