Does exercising in the heat increase calorie burn?

Does exercising in the heat increase calorie burn?.....

Does exercising in the heat increase calorie burn? 

The quick answer is yes; when you exercise in a hot environment, your cardiovascular system must work overtime to keep you cool and maintain a constant body temperature.

If you performed the exact same workout in a warm and a cold location, your body would likely use more energy in the warmer temperature due to its extra "cooling" efforts.

The extra calories would be little, however, and there are a lot of other things to consider. Because you could exercise longer without running any dangers to your health or placing more strain on your body, you might get greater results and burn more calories without the increased heat.

Let's go further and see if exercising in the heat increases calorie burn. And if you'd rather exercise in the shade entirely, see our guide to the finest home gym equipment.

DO YOU BURNT MORE CALORIES WHEN YOU WORK OUT IN THE HEAT?

As mentioned above, exercising in the heat makes your body work harder to cool itself, which might result in you burning more calories. However, according to certified exercise physiotherapist Helen O'Leary, any additional calories burnt will have little effect on weight reduction.

Your body temperature rises when you exercise to help with the physical demands of the activity. The body then uses perspiration to control its temperature so that heat may escape into the atmosphere. When you add a hot environment to the procedure, your body needs to work much harder to lower its temperature.

Surprisingly, our bodies can adjust to hotter conditions, making exercise in humid conditions seem less taxing. Regular exposure to hot surroundings may enhance the effectiveness of sweating and boost skin blood flow, according to the CDC(opens in new tab), making it simpler to control our body temperatures.

These modifications also require very little time to take effect. A review article in Sports Medicine(opens in new tab) shown that merely 14 days of training in hotter conditions might result in enhanced physiological adaptations.

As with anything, O'Leary continues, "We are astonishingly fast to adapt, so if you are routinely employing heat-based training approaches, you will acclimatise and as a result the body won't work as hard and will require less calories to cool itself."

WHAT OCCURS TO THE BODY WHILE EXERCISING IN HEAT?

Exercise in a hot environment can strain your body more. Your body has to work hard to expel this excess heat since exercise, ambient temperature, and humidity may all raise your core body temperature.

According to O'Leary, the cardiovascular system's fundamental problem during exercise is to deliver enough blood flow to the skin for efficient temperature control as well as adequate blood flow to the muscles to sustain metabolism.

Your body will send more blood to your skin when it's hot, but less blood will end up in your muscles as a result. According to some researchers(opens in new tab), this could enhance your anaerobic metabolism, which occurs when your body converts glucose into lactate and allows you to burn stored fat instead of oxygen for energy. However, not all of the most recent evidence backs this up.

The third mechanism your body will use to keep you cool is sweating: "How much we sweat is changeable and also relies on the environment we are in, the clothes we are wearing, and the physical activity we are performing. The quantity you sweat is connected to the amount of skin blood flow.

Dehydration may, of course, result from sweating, particularly if you don't replenish the fluid you're losing. According to O'Leary, this can start a little vicious spiral.

"Dehydration from sweat loss causes blood volume and plasma tonicity, or a cell's capacity to transfer water, to decrease, both of which have an impact on sweat production and skin blood flow. As a result, your body's capacity to expel heat is diminished, and you run a higher risk of suffering from significant dehydration.

IN THE HEAT, HOW SHOULD YOU EXERCISE?

The danger of heat exhaustion, which occurs when the body overheats in reaction to environmental variables like temperature, increases when you exercise in the heat. It may occur to anybody and happens often to athletes. However, it may also occur if you're in a warm automobile.

O'Leary advises exercising in hot weather, but there are a few things to keep in mind. "The danger of heat stroke or dehydration increases as the temperature rises. Consider the time of day when it begins to cool down, and try to plan your workout for then. This often entails longer nights or early mornings.

Is it really humid here? It will be harder for your body to lose heat if the answer is yes since there is more water in the air.

It's important to drink water while exercising, but you should also do this before and after to replenish the fluids your increased perspiration has caused you to lose.

"Start gently and lower your usual effort levels while your body is adapting if you live someplace chilly and it suddenly becomes warmer but you still want to exercise. Be patient with yourself and pay attention to how you are feeling since it might take up to two weeks for this to happen.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK WHEN EXERCISING IN THE HEAT?

There is a thin line between being "hyperhydrated" (having an excessive amount of bodily water) and "hypohydrated," according to a large corpus of study on the subject.(Having a water shortage in the body.)

The advantages of maintaining near-optimal hydration include improved performance, quicker recovery from exercise, and better heat transmission.

If you want to be more exact, you may figure out your sweat loss (SL) by adding up your body weight before and after exercise in kilogrammes, the amount of fluid you drank while exercising in litres, and the volume of pee (if any in liters). The sweat rate is then calculated as sweat loss (litres) / exercise time, according to Helen.

WHICH ACTIVITIES WORK BEST IN HIGH TEMPERATURES?

There is no one size fits all, and Helen explains that it largely depends on your skill and fitness levels. You can adapt any activity for the heat; you simply need to be aware of your limitations.

You might attempt activities like stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing, or swimming on really hot days. All of them not only assist you remain cool but also keep you active and healthy. Additionally, staying hydrated is important, so be sure you choose one of the finest water bottles and use it often.

"Try performing more mild activities like Tai Chi or strolling if you are a beginner exerciser or have never worked out in the heat before. Additionally, you may do some bodyweight Pilates, yoga, or gym-based workouts. Try to apply the programme to your whole body rather than just a few targeted regions, and then let your body adjust. As we previously said, this process takes around two weeks.

Female Tai Chi practitioners in a park

"Knowing your current level of activity is crucial. Going for a run in the sweltering noon heat is not a smart idea if you have never exercised before. Instead, gradually increase your tolerance and keep in mind that things take time to adapt.