Does swimming burn as many calories as other sports? Unless you're putting in some real yardage, it doesn't seem like it does to me. I was chatting with some tri teammates awhile ago. They think they're slimmer when they're doing multiple sports and not just swimming. Me too, I think. Anyone else have thoughts on this? I guess I should be lifting weights ... Thanks in advance. :)
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This is probably true, but it seems a little counterintuitive to me. It seems like the more "in shape" you are the fewer calories you would burn at rest, because your body is more efficient: it needs less energy to do basic tasks. Why is this not the case?
You are both correct. Intense exercise keeps your metabolism elevated long after you quit exercising. However, once you have reached you base metabolic rate a fit person will burn fewer calories than an unfit one.
Example: I was out for lunch yesterday and walked into the restaurant without thinking about it (minimal work). An obese man came in behind me (400+ lbs). He was breathing very hard. For those few moments he was burning way more calories than me. But earlier that day I ran a 10k. My metabolism was still elevated from hours earlier.
The real kicker is who works harder at a race the winner or the age group. The age grouper. Being less efficient, he is working as hard as the winner but for a longer period of time.
This is probably true, but it seems a little counterintuitive to me. It seems like the more "in shape" you are the fewer calories you would burn at rest, because your body is more efficient: it needs less energy to do basic tasks. Why is this not the case?
You are both correct. Intense exercise keeps your metabolism elevated long after you quit exercising. However, once you have reached you base metabolic rate a fit person will burn fewer calories than an unfit one.
Example: I was out for lunch yesterday and walked into the restaurant without thinking about it (minimal work). An obese man came in behind me (400+ lbs). He was breathing very hard. For those few moments he was burning way more calories than me. But earlier that day I ran a 10k. My metabolism was still elevated from hours earlier.
The real kicker is who works harder at a race the winner or the age group. The age grouper. Being less efficient, he is working as hard as the winner but for a longer period of time.
