Do mental calisthenics burn extra energy?

Factual Questions
1

It’s common knowledge that a lot of our body’s energy is used by the brain, more than by any other organ. The figure I’ve seen is up to 20%

And I’ve read an article that says the brain burns more energy when you’re awake than asleep.

But does “thinking harder” actually mean anything?

Suppose you are sitting in a chair, just listening to something. Will your brain burn more calories if you are listening to a lecture about some subject you find challenging to understand but interesting (say, a lecture in your college major) compared to how many calories you burn if you’re listening to someone speaking about something you already know and understand and don’t find particularly interesting (maybe a lecture on the proper steps to wash dishes)?

Do you burn more calories while solving a crossword puzzle than a word search?

Is the difference enough to matter? The guy who starts jogging a mile a day might lose weight. Will the guy who sets in to learn a new language possibly get thinner?

2

Try doing differential equations sometime. Then, study Quantum Physics.

3

Well, if you believe those wild eyed scientist types - No.
Does Thinking Really Hard Burn More Calories?

Personally, I think the real question to ask is if thinking about working out burns more calories than thinking about eating pizza.

4

Excellent article, thanks! Guess I won’t be writing the “Think Away Your Fat” diet book.

5

The OP asked half a dozen questions, and that article appears to answer the title question “Do mental calisthenics burn extra energy?” with Yes. It might not be enough to slim you down, or be the cause of mental fatigue, but the more mentally difficult you find the task, the more energy you expend doing it.

6

The brain uses about 300 calories a day, supposedly conscious thought only burns 50 calories a day at most since most brain activity is devoted to things like managing your body, making sense of sensory input, etc.

So no not really. All the energy you need for your conscious thoughts in a day are provided in about 3-4oz of pepsi.

7

The article does a fine job breaking down the calories burned by the brain itself but I’m not sure that captures the complete story. Intense mental work has impact outside the brain itself as well … bottom line is that intense mental work increases heart rate and blood pressure, likely by way of parasympathetic modulation, which does logically mean some number of additional calories burned.

Is it enough to matter. Highly likely not. Besides, people seem to eat more when thinking hard too.