Additional calories in the heat?

mndaln7
mndaln7 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I get my workouts done on my lunch hour outside. Most of the time I do not take into consideration how hot or cold it is, I just dress accordingly and make sure I have plenty of water. Lately, obviously, it has been scorching hot. I'm talking upper 80's and 90's. IMO I should be burning more calories than if it were in the 60's out. How would I find out how many more calories I am burning? I don't slow down just because it's hotter but I am obviously sweating more. I also love to workout outside in the winter and bundle up whether it's snowing or even in the teens. I have heard that you burn a ton of calories that way too because your body has to work extra hard to warm up. Im just wondering if anyone knows an easy way to figure out what you are burning at various outdoor temps? Please and thank you!!!

Replies

  • cavewoman15
    cavewoman15 Posts: 278 Member
    i'd love to know this answer! i play softball outside a couple times a week and i bike around town all the time, but i have to think i burn more calories now that it is 90+ outside. i definitely sweat more!
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    bump!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Sweat is fat crying but, sadly, it doesn't equate more calories burned similarly exercising in cold weather does burn a few more calories while you're warming up but it's certainly not a ton (there was a lot of research done by the Canadian Armed Forces on caloric needs for soldiers operating in northern climates / winter and the difference wasn't significant)

    I run outdoors all year 'round (it gets down to about -40C here at times) and, if you're dressed properly you're a little cool (not uncomfortably so) when starting the run and perspiring profusely by the end of it. Looking at my winter calorie burns vs summer there's not a big change.
  • mndaln7
    mndaln7 Posts: 6 Member
    Hey thanks for the info, I've never found any studies about this before, but that gives me more motivation to not slack off just because I'm already sweating profusely haha, thanks again!
  • BrodeurNJ30
    BrodeurNJ30 Posts: 8
    I ran when it was very hot the other day, and I didn't go for as long because I was sweating buckets.

    I went when it was raining the other day and I sweat just as much near the end of my run.

    So no matter the heat (or lack thereof) I am going to keep running until I hit my goal for that day, sweat or no sweat!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Well, I disagree with Brian. When you're exercising in hotter weather your body is working harder to cool itself. That DOES burn more calories. How many more? Not sure there. I do get bigger burns on my HRM when it's hot out because the heat raises my average HR by 5 to 10 bpm. I doubt all of that is true calorie burn, but I know some of it is.

    ETA: When I ran my first 5K, it was very hot and humid out, something I wasn't used to. I burned about 60 calories more over the 47 minutes that I normally would have with that type of workout.

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