I read somewhere (I can't recall it now) that swimming does not help much with weight loss, and that it doesn't burn as many calories as other sports (such as running). Is this actually true?
Former Member
Originally posted by CCSR79
What I hear the most of why swimming is not as effective as running, for example, is this... Swimming works mainly your "smaller" muscles, like arms, back, abs, not as much as your "big" muscles like your leg. Running, works your "big" muscles. Bigger muscles, just by being there, burn more calories than the smaller ones, and requires more of your body enhancing then your metabolism... Not sure how much this is actually accurate, but last time I went to the doctor for a check up he kept going on and on about this! (But I hate running and love swimming, so needless to say I didn't pay much attention to it.)
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Does that mean the secret to swimming a lot of weight off is to do hour long kick sets????:D :( :confused: :eek:
Does that mean the secret to swimming a lot of weight off is to do hour long kick sets????
What people say on swimming vs running is that when you run you're supporting the weight of your whole body, while swimming, you don't have to do that, you have water resistance, but not so much as if you were supporting your body weight, so even kick sets wouldn't be the answer.
But since I love swimming and can run if my life depended on it (well, maybe if it depended on it, I could probably run a bit), I rather ignore this! I feel so energized after swimming, and I can feel I worked my whole body, I'm sure it'll make a difference somehow! Better than sitting on my ass all day!
Studies have shown that swimmers tend to lose weight less than any other sport.
Mostly, it's because higher body temperature results in temporary appetite suppression. Translation: Swimmers eat more, because they're hungrier after a workout than non-swimmers (runners, cyclists, etc). We can replace the energy we've burned in a single meal if we want to.
Also, swimmers use more energy in training sessions than non-swimmers, which leaves little energy left for substantial physical activity outside the pool. Translation again: We train, we sleep, we eat, that's pretty much all we do.
Now, the above refers mostly to competitive swimmers who aren't on a controlled diet, except to ratio their carb/protein/fat intake. But that's the skinny of it (pardon the pun).
Actually, after being in the pool I'm not hungry at all, and I started swimming after work last week, and I've been so energized that I've had problems sleeping at night (something I never had to worry about before)... Maybe I'm just the exception to the rule, who knows?
I have been going in spurts with losing weight. Last spring I lost 10 pounds in a few months. Then I went about six months were I couldn't loose any weight (I was doing a lot of running in this time frame). Now in the past month I have lost 5 pounds. I finally can fit into my pre- pregancy clothes. This is all without any special diet. I kind of eat what I want but without eating too much. I think swimming does help. If I would watch my diet better I am sure I could loose a lot more. Drinking Mt. Dew really doesn't help. I can't imagine how much I would weigh if I didn't swim.
