Hello all! Today at the gym, I got into a discussion with a guy who likes to keep the fan and the cooler off in the aerobics room.
See, he likes to keep it nice and hot in there so that he can work up a sweat as he’s working out. He claims that being hot and sweating during exercise will burn more calories than doing the same workout but not sweating much due to having the cooler on.
Now, it’s always been my opinion that calories are burned from the exercise itself, not from sweating. And that while sweating does result in a loss of waterweight, that water is replaced as soon as you drink something.
So which is it? Does the act of sweating in and of itself burn calories? Or is my friend just working himself to a sweat over nothing?
i am sure that the process of sweating burns some calories, just like breathing. but i doubt that it makes much of a difference.
Your friend is confused. To get a good cardio workout, you need to break a sweat. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re getting a good cardio workout if you break a sweat.
Sorry, I can’t help with the OP. I wonder whether it is even the right question.
The question assumes that when the room is hotter (or at least when the cooler and fan are off), that a person will sweat more, presumably, as evidenced by getting soaked in ones perspiration.
Simply comparing my experiences with the hot and arrid desert of Arizona tells me that you can sweat ALOT without feeling a drop of perspiration, if it is dry enough. Likewise, on humid days here in Georgia, you can get drenched on just a short walk. And trust me, temperatures in Arizona far exceed that of Georgia.
In the weight room, the fan makes you FEEL cooler by helping evaporate your perspiration, making you “less sweaty”. And I suspect alot of the benefit of the cooler is its drying effect on the air. And your only talking, what, 10 degrees F different?
I would question whether the difference in the amount of perspiration is even significant.
Now, whether there is some health benefit from working out while soaked with perspiration, I can’t tell you. But it may have an impact on the smell!
I think you just feel like you’ve had a more intense workout if you’re sweating a lot afterward than if you’re just barely moist. But as far as I know, the amount you sweat is merely an indication of how much water you’ve lost. It says nothing about how much you’ve exerted yourself or how many calories you’ve burned.
Proper hydration is an important part of the exercise routine, and to intentionally make yourself less hydrated borders on foolish and dangerous to me.
IANAE, but I agree with everyone else. The guy at the gym might think he’s burning more Calories because he weighs himself and says, “I’ve lost weight!” True enough, but what he’s really lost is water; not fat.
I think cooling the room is better because:
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I think a person might tend to work out longer if s/he’s more comfortable; and
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When we exercise we generate heat. Too much heat is a bad thing. If you’re exerting yourself and you’re overheated, you may pass out.
Hell, if the room were 40°F you’d be burning Calories just keeping your body warm in addition to those you’re burning during your workout. 
Oh – AudreyK. It’s 0430 in the frelling morning! Go to bed.
How do you know I just didn’t get up insanely early?
[sub]Okay, okay, I’m going! I’m going![/sub]
Good point. I got up at four.
Sweating burns some calories, as calories are needed to run your cooling system…but they are minimal and negligible.
Walking (not sweating) burns more calories than running mile for mile.
Burning fat and calories has almost NOTHING to do with sweat.
Today, if you are a 180 pound man, you’ll burn 2500 calories just living your life and never exercising or breaking a sweat. You could walk a mile or two, ride a bike for 20 mins or do aerobics for 15 mins all while never breaking a sweat and you’ll burn an extra 250 calories.
Sweat does not factor in that much.
Intentionally trying to sweat isn’t a very bright idea in working out. I’ve done enough running in Georgia heat. Dehydration isn’t very healthy for you, especially not when working out. It does sap your strength, but I don’t think that’s by burning more calories.
In fact many fitness related sites state that exercising in the cold burns more calories because of the calories needed just to keep your body warm and warm the air you breath. Mind you many other sites state that this is a myth.