Swimming as a calorie burner?

Swimmers burn tons of calories...but they also have very large appetites. What I don't get is why swimming Backstroke or Breaststroke burns more calories than swimming "Crawl-fast"...according to the WebMD. (The web MD must be a triathlete). www.webmd.com/.../calc_calories.htm I'm sure I'd burn more in *** than free...so much more of my energy is spent trying not to sink!

I'm sure I'd burn more in *** than free...so much more of my energy is spent trying not to sink! Might you be ....a triathlete? (just kidding) Notice how butterfly isn't on there? The Web MD is apparently missing the greatest calorie burning activity on the planet... I could think of a few more however...but that would take this thread in a bad direction.

I have been researching this issue for quite some time. I have learned that swimming burns a ton of calories if you are a true swimmer and not a noodler. In addition, it works almost every muscle group. There are a few things that can cause weight gain with swimmers: (1) Eating too much; (2) Water retention (3) Building muscles Swimmers often complain of being hungry after their workouts. Hunger after swimming comes from the loss of glycogen (stored carbs). Glycogen also holds alot of water, so when glycogen is depleted (i.e., no carb diet) you are only losing water. A quick loss of glycogen also increases hunger (this is why you are hungry after swimming). Glycogen is depleted in exercise from anaerobic exercise. Most swimming workouts involve raising your heartrate to the anaerobic level at some point during the workout. Some workouts more than others. When muscles are trained to failure, they need to repair in order to build. Your body does this by surrounding the muscle with water (i.e., water retention). The research I found analogized fat and muscle as following: Fat is light weight and takes up alot of room (like a bunch of feathers). Muscle is small and heavy like gold. Take your measurements, don't rely solely on the scale for any weight loss progress.

One reason given that swimming doesn't burn as many calories as running is that it uses arms more than legs.The obvious solution to that is BREASTSTROKE!!!!

You're on! Don't underestimate the power of the B-scotch krimpie though. I'll bring an assortment, but I must warn you, they are addicting and hard to come by outside the Philly area. Ah, like your sparkling personality....;)

I checked out the calculator. No matter what you put in for exercise it said you had to exercise more and eat less to lose weight. While true,in that if you were already doing 3 hr of vigorous swimming and not losing weight if you wanted to you'd have to do more or eat less,it was still a canned response. Also,there BMI and ideal weight charts had the generic problem that they all do that they don't apply to muscular people.Muscle is heavier than fat so you can be "over weight" and have less fat,and be healthier than someone lighter. Those tables don't apply to the big-boned among us either;) Hey anyone know at what point a muscular body becomes a danger to the heart because of the amount of work it has to do to pump blood?. Not that I am at risk.

I checked out the calculator. No matter what you put in for exercise it said you had to exercise more and eat less to lose weight. While true,in that if you were already doing 3 hr of vigorous swimming and not losing weight if you wanted to you'd have to do more or eat less,it was still a canned response. Also,there BMI and ideal weight charts had the generic problem that they all do that they don't apply to muscular people.Muscle is heavier than fat so you can be "over weight" and have less fat,and be healthier than someone lighter.

Those tables don't apply to the big-boned among us either;) Hey anyone know at what point a muscular body becomes a danger to the heart because of the amount of work it has to do to pump blood?. Not that I am at risk. I A thick skull doesn't necessarily mean thick bones in general Rich....LOL!!:thhbbb: Newmastersswimmer

A thick skull doesn't necessarily mean thick bones in general Rich....LOL!!:thhbbb: Newmastersswimmer Look who's talking...did you discover fire yet?:thhbbb:

Yes, will swim breaststroke for hot men OR chocolate OR alcoholic beverages of my choice ... OR good shoes and handbags ... So a hot guy wearing heels, dangling a cabury's bar in one hand and a Appletini in the other...K we know how to get you that WR now....Jim's already got the heels...