Bikram Yoga

How long is the class?

http://www.yoga-breathing.com/how-many-calories-burned-in-one-bikram-yoga-class/

http://www.bikram-yoga-noosa-australia.com/weight-loss-and-yoga.htm.

I would say between 500-1000 and depends how much effort you put into it. Those classes can be tough and since you can kinda just get by (aka... lay down sometimes when it feels just too hot) or really push yourself, I think it differs. I have class tomorrow morning and wish my HRM's battery wasn't dead so I could find out too!

I agree with previous poster, I think there can be a range depending on how hard you are working and the heat/humidity of the class. Though they are all supposed to be the same (105 degrees and 40% humidity) there can be some variation. I would say anywhere from 500-1000 calories is a good range. I always input the calories based on how I felt like I did in the class.

Also, when I teach Bikram yoga, I add 100 calories because I'm sweating so much and I know my heart is working extra. I looked online at calories burned during time in a sauna, so I feel like it's a legitimate calorie deduction. What do you guys think?

Any caloric expenditure will come from the movements themselves, not the temperature. Thermal stress increases heart rate, but not oxygen uptake, which is what is really responsible for increased caloric burn. Anyone who uses a heart rate monitor as the basis for estimating caloric expenditure during these classes is vastly overestimating the amount. That's just the way the body works.

It's not easy to find good literature on the subject and I will admit that my PubMed search skills are mediocre at best. I was able to come up with 2 related studies. One looked at bikram yoga. While it did not look at caloric burn directly, it did show that after 12 weeks or so of doing the yoga classes VO2 max increased by 7%. That is indicative of a low-intensity exercise--normally you would expect to see 15% to 30%. And this study was conducted by a pro-bikram yoga organization, so it was structured to come up with as positive results as possible. The other study looked specifically at hatha yoga and determined that the avg intensity was about 14%-15% of VO2 max, well below a training threshold.

One analysis I read suggested that the aerobic benefits of bikram yoga--such as they are--came primarily from the compression and relaxation of muscles during the poses themselves. The increased flow of blood after a compression was relaxed could result in a modest aerobic training effect. But, again, nothing that could result in the kinds of numbers I often see claimed.

Thanks for the information, Azdak. That makes sense to me, though I do think that it is possible to burn a high number of calories during class due to the intensity of the postures. I don't have anything but my experience to back that up though. I think that it is important to always listen to the body a little bit too, instead of just relying on calorie guides or even heart rate monitors.