As temperatures drop throughout much of the country, you may be tempted to abandon your workout, especially if you love to exercise outdoors. However, with the holidays (and all the yummy, calorie dense food that tends to accompany them) just around the corner, you may want to reconsider. Perhaps this post will motivate you to keep moving. Researchers have discovered that working out in cold temperatures may increase your calorie burn! The key is brown adipose tissue (BAT), a type of fat that uses energy to generate heat in a process called thermogenesis. Studies have found that exposure to cold temperatures activates BAT, resulting in increased caloric expenditure, as the body works to maintain its optimal core temperature. Generally, women have more BAT than men and younger people have more BAT than older. BAT (as well as its metabolic activity) is decreased in overweight or obese indivuduals. However, if someone is overweight or obese, a decrease in body mass results in an increase in BAT. How cold is cold enough? Well, according to some of the research, you want to induce thermogenesis, but not to the point of shivering. Once you are shivering, BAT activity is no longer optimal (you do burn some calories through shivering, however). The temperature range that has been documented to stimulate BAT activity is between 57 and 61 degrees F. As your body adapts to cooler temperatures, eventually, you will become more tolerant. This means that even lower temperatures will activate BAT. This is good news for those of us whose outdoor temperatures dip down to 30 degrees and lower during the peak of winter season. How much of a difference will the BAT make in terms of calorie burn? While activating BAT alone will not replace some form of regular physical activity, it can result in up to a 10-15% increase in calorie burn, upon 5 minutes of exposure to cold. One resource notes that the metabolic rate in a group of men rose 1.8 times the resting rate after BAT was activated. Walking raises the metabolic rate around 2-3 times that of the resting rate and running raises it around 10 times the resting metabolic rate. So, if you are already doing an activity, such as walking or running, BAT activation will take the burn to another level! The take-home message? DON'T LET THE COLD KEEP YOU FROM STAYING ACTIVE!!!
2 Comments
lily karima
11/27/2012 01:16:16 am
i love the article, fortunately, we don't have that problem in california, however, i do hope others will use the information as encouragement for winter fitness - keep up the good work
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Alena
12/4/2012 10:33:14 am
Well just rub it in, why don't you?! :-)
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AuthorHello there, my name is Alena and I am a Registered Dietitian! This blog is a platform through which I can share my knowledge and perspectives on a variety of nutrition-related topics. Feel free to contribute by commenting. Archives
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