CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you are going to take your morning run, be sure to bundle up in these cold temperatures.
In a TikTok video that’s gaining traction online, one user claims running outside in the cold will actually help you drop weight more quickly. As we still have a few more cold mornings ahead of us, we wondered, does working out in cold weather actually burn more calories than in warm weather?
THE QUESTION
Does working out in cold weather actually burn more calories than in warm weather?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, working out in cold weather does burn more calories than in warm weather.
WHAT WE FOUND
Working out in the cold and the heat both have different benefits. But when it comes to burning calories:
"You probably can burn a little bit more, not a significant amount, but a little bit more," Geier said.
A study in the American Journal of Human Biology found that people who hiked in temperatures below freezing, burned 34% more calories than those who hiked in temperatures above 50 degrees.
If it is significantly colder your body is going to have to work harder to basically generate heat and get you comfortable," Geier said.
That process of warming yourself up, according to the American Sports Fitness Association, is called thermogenesis.
And it can be more efficient at burning stored fat as fuel to regulate your own temperature.
Though it’s great to get outside and try to burn more calories in the cold, Geier said you still have to do it safely.
"I would do it by wearing layers rather than one big thick coat do it in multiple layers so as you start to warm up, then you can take those layers off and then get some of the benefits of the cold exposure," he said.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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