does summer = more calories?

[percent20]

I was outside today just walking around my yard and in about 2 minutes i was already sweating, partly because i live sedentary life lately.

It got me thinking because it is becoming summer will a person need to increase caloric intake becuase of the heat and it taxing the body a bit more than say spring or winter?

[ryuten]

um.... i don't think so. sweat has nothing to do with burning calories or anything. u can sit in a sauna and sweat like a pig but u're not burning anything.

[percent20]

um.... i don't think so. sweat has nothing to do with burning calories or anything. u can sit in a sauna and sweat like a pig but u're not burning anything.

I know that i am just saying it got me thinking about how your body reacts to the heat I know I can walk say 1/4 of a mile in 60 degree weather just fine, but my heart will be beating faster in that same 1/4 mile in 95 degree weather.

[rdryden]

During summer I notice I am a lot more active... When its warm outside I just feel a psychological pull towards going outdoors...

I always lose weight during the summer
and then gain it back while Im sitting on my ass all winter..

[laeklar]

Percent20, you raise an interesting question. Caloric expenditure and food intake is higher in the summer but that is only because people usually engage in more physical activities during that time.

However, as far as for expending calories purely by being outside... (reading a book for example) I would argue that people burn more calories during the winter.

This is because the body has to expend a lot more energy in order to keep the body at its set body temperature. Some calories are going to be used purely to generate heat (ie. shivering).

Therefore, activities are going to have a slightly higher caloric cost in lower temperature environments ultimately resulting in more calories being burned.

So if everything is held equal (the same activities and routine) then overall caloric expenditure is higher during the winter.

[laeklar]

There is one case that I didn't think of when I posted earlier. If your CORE body temperature raises (ie. you have a fever) then your basic metabolic rate will rise.

I just read an article that states for every 0.5C internal temperature increase, BMR will increase by 7%. However, normal heat loss mechanisms (ie. sweating) keep this from occuring so the core body temperature remains constant during the summer.

Since there is not a very strong correlation between summer time and an increase in fevers, I still stand by my earlier response.

[punkman2]

um.... i don't think so. sweat has nothing to do with burning calories or anything. u can sit in a sauna and sweat like a pig but u're not burning anything.

very true. Did you know that you actually burn more calories while exercising in the cold as opposed to the heat. This is all due to thermo regulation of body heat. Pretty much states that you are using calories just to keep your body warm.