As the thermometer seems to be "crazy" and the temperatures outside are extremely high, surely you are one of those people who are sweating going from the house to the car and vice versa. Well, we are in summer and the heat will accompany our days, at least for a few months.
Surely you also feel like you are sweating more in the gym or during outdoor training, but does the summer heat really have an impact on burning calories during this season?
Our body works hard to maintain a stable internal temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius. This is a physiological process called thermoregulation. If the body senses that its internal temperature is rising, the sweat glands are activated to sweat and keep the body cool.
No matter how hot or sweaty you feel, the body does a good job of staying cool. It doesn't take more calories to produce sweat and therefore, you don't burn more calories in the heat. Some people produce more sweat than others, but there is no study that shows that more sweat means higher calorie burn.
"When it's really hot outside, people can sweat more, which also leads to dehydration," says cardiologist Marc Eisenberg.
"When you're dehydrated, your blood pressure can drop, and in response, your heart rate can increase to compensate for the low blood pressure," adds Eisenberg. He adds that an increased heart rate doesn't translate into a huge calorie burn either.
Do you burn more calories when it's hot or cold?
You won't burn more calories in the heat, but the story changes when the weather is cold. According to the National Institutes of Health, the body works hard to maintain the body's internal temperature in both hot and cold environments.
But when it's cold, heat loss occurs and the body's internal temperature drops, the hypothalamus (a small region in the brain) increases the body's metabolism to generate heat. In addition, muscles contract involuntarily to cause tremors that lead to heat. Shivering also burns calories at the same time, which can also lead to weight loss.
Does exercising in the heat help you lose weight?
You may have seen fewer pounds in the summer after exercise or training, but this is most likely due to water loss. The increase in heat causes the body to sweat more to keep itself cool. If you don't drink water and electrolytes to replace the sweat you're losing, you could lose a few pounds of water weight and become dehydrated.
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Source: Today
