Cardio in Freezing Temps

JipsyJudy
JipsyJudy Posts: 268 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
I just returned from a trip to South Dakota where I did a fair amount of walking outdoors and doing photography in freezing temperatures. I became ravenous and gave in to eating excessive quantities of food at meals. Now back home and I don't appear to have gained weight over a three day period during which I ate about 3000 calories more than my goal. That got me to wondering. Do people burn more calories when exercising outdoors in freezing weather compared to doing the same exercise in mild weather? I found that after walking briskly for a few minutes I got hot and had to take off my outer jacket.

Replies

  • BeccaAnderton
    BeccaAnderton Posts: 80
    I believe you burn more calories when your body is cold than when it's warm, cause your body burns calories trying to warm itself up :)
  • smrtcar
    smrtcar Posts: 104 Member
    I think it's just the cardio, not the freezing temps.
  • bshedwick
    bshedwick Posts: 659 Member
    I actually think the reverse is true. Your body burns more in the heat to keep you from overheating. In hot weather, not only must your heart pump extra blood to bring oxygen to your muscles, it must also pump hot blood from your heated muscles to your skin where heat can be dissipated.

    On the other hand, in cold weather, your heart only has to pump blood to your muscles and very little extra blood to your skin to dissipate heat. Your muscles produce so much heat during exercise that your body does not need to produce more heat to keep you warm.
  • sahmed15
    sahmed15 Posts: 20 Member
    Yup, you definitely burn more calories in the cold. On top of the exercise, your body burns calories to keep you warm.

    I remember reading about a women who was determined to swim in FREEZING cold water in the arctic or someplace really cold... I can't recall how long she swam, but it wasn't more than 3 hours. She ended up losing about 10 pounds or something. I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT ANYONE DO THIS (this woman was a professional athlete and had medical professionals present), I'm just giving an example of what your body does to keep you warm.

    ...I know that sounds like "hearsay" though.

    As for you, the freezing temperatures and outdoor activity might have counteracted your eating. You must have been outside for hours each day though! Nice job :)
  • micahcsmith
    micahcsmith Posts: 13
    What I understand you burn more calories trying to keep your body warm i.e. shivering and other things. You require more calories in a cold environment so your body and work to keep your body temp up. In hot environments you need you eat too obviously and in extreame hot environments you will also burn calories trying to keep your body temp low. For example your adverage body temp is 97 degrees if it is 40 degrees outside your body will work to keep you at 97 and has to work hard to do that if you are out for too long (hypothermia). If it is 90-100 degrees your body has an easy time maintaining your body temp if you hydrate you should be fine but no extra calories are burned trying to maintain your temp. if it is 100-120 you are sweating just standing there trying to keep your body temp low but you have to keep consuming water or you will dehydrate and you need to eat or you will not have the energy to keep your temp low and avoid heat stroke. (**disclaimer: I'm not a scientist I have only done cold weather mountain survival training and lived in Iraq and the Mojave desert. I hardly passed Biology this is jsut what I understand through my training and it makes sense)
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    There is no doubt in my mind you burn more in colder temps.

    I spend a lot of time outside year round and during the winter months whether I am sedentary or moving, I get extremely ravenous and need tons of food to keep me fueled.
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