Runners Burn Extra Calories Even At Rest
The exercise causes an increase in the number of mitochondria in the body: these are often nicknamed "the powerhouse of the cell". They are the part of a cell which convert sugar and fat into ATP (Adenosine-5'-triphosphate) molecules, which transport energy within cells.
You need that brief biology lesson to understand the results of the study:
- The mitochondria in the cells of men who run for four or more hours each week use 54% more fuel than the mitrochondria of non-runners.
- The amount of ATP produced by both groups is the same, though. This means that at rest, the extra fuel burnt was "wasted" and turned into heat.
When the mitrochondria burn up fuel (sugar and fat) within cells, this helps to clear out cellular fats that may contribute to insulin resistance. This research suggests that, even when at rest, running plays an important role in helping to protect against type 2 diabetes, as well as helping to burn fat.
Written By Ali Hale
Ever seen an endurance runner? They look like they escaped from Auschwitz.
Sprinters on the other hand have plenty of muscle; large quads; massive hams.
Which one do you think is burning more calories?
Don't be an endurance runner.
ReplyI hear this argument a lot and feel there is far more to the story than this... your comment implies that we all have a genetic clean slate when it comes to muscle fiber ditribution. Elite distance runners and sprinters have a tendency towards more of one type of fibers. When you add the training stimulus to enhance those fibers to excel at your event, the descrepancy widens.
For the average guy/gal who wants to get fit, burn fat, etc. a combination of longer, slower distance work combined with higher intensity intervals, resistance training and good diet supply the best of all worlds.
There seems to be this trend of pendulum-swinging which states that we shouldn't do any cardio becasue it causes injuries, doesn't help fat loss, makes us efficient in a negative way, etc... I don't buy into most of the arguments.
Reply"For the average guy/gal who wants to get fit, burn fat, etc. a combination of longer, slower distance work combined with higher intensity intervals, resistance training and good diet supply the best of all worlds."
Absolutely Mike!
ReplyVery interesting article! Thanks for the advice Dr. J. for those of us who are not marathon runners :)
ReplyI'm just seconding Mike's excellent advice :-)
ReplyThanks, Doc!
ReplyI'm an endurance runner who used to be a sprinter. Same muscles. Implies that, for me at least, where I put on muscle has more to do with my genetics than the type of running I do.
As far as burning more calories at rest...well, that's great, except for the fact that I'm hungry ALL the time, negating any benefit if I wanted to lose weight. Fortunately Barry's comment re: Aushwitz applies to me, so I'm not worried about that ;) ...It does drain the bank account, though, when I have to make multiple trips to the grocery store every week since I keep running out of food...
ReplyThat is not true. I am a distance runner (run about 6 hours a week). I am slender but muscular. Muscle mass is part genetic (fyi I am female), and partly due to the amount of protein in your diet. Type and duration of exercise is only a small factor in this equation. I believe one should do the type of exercise they enjoy, in the amount they enjoy. This is the only way to make it a lifestyle.
Replyyou don't know what muscular is.
ReplyI run about 5 times a week and try to stick to a consistent diet with a low fat content. i typically run long distance at about the same pace. i feel as if my body should be changing and i should be ripped up by now. ( ive been doing this since high school) lately ive tried changing up the intensity in my jog for about a minute than bringing it back to a steady pace,i really feel as if im burning some major calories when i try this. i am determined to regain my six pack and increase my shoulder muscle mass. ill let you guys know how its going. currently im 5'11 156.
Reply-motivated-
I am quite happy that I started running :)
ReplyYou are SO right about an increased appetite negating the constant calorie burn at rest. I'm a swimmer, and it is the exact same situation. When I first started swimming seven years ago, I couldn't believe the increase in my "at rest" appetite. I did gain some muscle mass in my upper arms, but the appetite increase has remained fairly constant since the beginning. When I occasionally go a week or two without swimming, I feel my appetite start to decrease again.
ReplyHi Ally!
It is my understanding that swimming, unlike running, is more of a carbohydrate burn, and that's why you are hungry after a workout, and tend to replace the lost calorie deficit. Of course, serious swanning at a high intensity is a little different, but as a rule, if you do not sweat, your intensity level is not good for fat burning. Unless other reasons prevail, I do not recommend swimming as the main focus of a weight loss exercise routine.
ReplyAlthough swanning is really fun, swimming at a high intensity is better. %#(* spell-checker!!
ReplyAnybody who thinks you don't sweat while swimming has never been a swimmer!!!
ReplyAgreed, Jen...it is a misconception that you do not sweat while swimming. Of course you do. It gets washed away by the water (in fact, I often get so heated/overheated while swimming that afterward I can walk outdoors in the dead of winter out to my car and feel hot with my coat open, having been bundled up and shivering while walking INTO the building before my swim.)
ReplyAnd feeling hot afterward is after SIMPLY getting out of the pool and drying off, even before taking a hot shower (later at home, which is what I do.)
Reply1)I did not say you do not sweat while swimming.
2)I was on my high school swim team, and have done triathlons.
3)I do not recommend swimming as the main focus of a weight loss program.
3) It is not uncommon for swimmers to gain fat weight.
4)Running is a much more efficacious way to lose or maintain weight loss.
5)Any exercise is better than none.
ReplyI guess it works for me because I'd always been slightly underweight. But I have seen the article you linked to before, and it's still a very debateable topic. I know of people who've lost massive amounts of weight swimming; I've known people who haven't had a change.
ReplyOh, and I should also add I only added swimming in addition to briskly walking approximately 21 miles a week. I swim approximately three miles a week on top of that. I used to only be a walker. I get no result from weight bearing exercises, even doing them vigorously for months on end. My upper body muscles just never responded to anything like they did with swimming.
ReplyNice to hear all this!
I have a friend who swam competitively for Texas and Florida State! No small accomplishment. He has gained way too much since then (maybe 10 years). He started swimming again about two months ago. He is beautiful to watch in the water, obese or no, but he is gaining weight! I think he needs to follow your advice and add walking to his workouts!
ReplyYes, I LOVE the brisk walking, and I'm fortunate to live in a hilly area. I only added swimming seven years ago because I felt I needed something a little more, and equipment/reps-type exercise never does anything for me physically or emotionally. I like more natural forms of exercise.
If my walking has to fall off a bit (winter issues; too dark after work, etc.) then I'll throw in a couple of sessions on a treadmill, stairclimber, or elliptical. But I'm outside walking again as soon as I can. It (and swimming) is addictive!
ReplyThat was in reply to "B."
ReplyUnfortunately I'm not much of a runner. It's a mental thing. I lose focus and get bored after twenty minutes, even with my ipod blaring away. But I think, after reading this, that I'll step up my cardiovascular exercise at the gym. Four half an hour sessions just won't cut it I guess.
ReplyNo matter what kind of exercise or cardio you do, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn when active or at rest.
ReplySo what's the verdict on swimming? Does it burn more carbs than running?
Replyhttp://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/swimming.htm
Here's an opinion.
ReplyTwo years ago I took up running to cement my resolve in quitting smoking. Now I run regularly (3 - 5 hours a week) and am 40kg lighter.
Yes, I have a higher than 'normal' appetite, but I choose to satisfy that with a nutritious diet and am continuing to lose weight, albeit slowly.
But I don't run for weight loss, I run for the sheer enjoyment of it. Going from morbidly obese to slightly overweight is a definite plus though!
ReplySo at your "morbidly obese" stage did you start running? If so, how did you start? I'd like to run, but find it very hard on my knees.
ReplyI did start running at my morbidly obese phase - BMI 42.
The most important thing was starting slowly - others have said it long before me - for me 'slowly' meant running, very slowly (about 7 or 7.5 kph), for very short distances (
Most of my early running was on a treadmill at the gym, and once a week I met with a couple of fitter girlfriends to run and work out in a park.
So, in summary start small, stay focussed on your goal (mine was finishing a 10K fun run) and most of all be consistent in what you do. If you miss a session get back on track at the next opportunity.
I did wind up with knee issues, caused by issues with my ITB, and saw a physio who fixed it and gave me a strategy for managing the issue long term.
It should be a challenging and enjoyable journey.
ReplyAll the best!
very short distances of less than 100m - seems to have been cut off above...
ReplyI'm a runner, so I'm really glad to hear this news. When I started running, I lost weight so fast it was insane. And most of it was pure fat, according to my measurements and body fat percentages. I suppose it makes sense that as your muscles start getting used to running, they adapt so that they can get the most energy they can as quickly as possible. So they produce more mitochondria to compensate. I'm guessing that once you stop running, your muscles stop producing so many mitochondria and you lose the benefit.
I still have some questions about this study though...does walking increase mitochondria as well? If high-intensity exercise is the only way that you can produce more mitochondria and decrease insulin resistance, is a prescription of high-intensity exercise a potential cure for diabetes?
ReplyThanks for the great advice. You have inspired me to start running!
ReplyThis is a good news for those who are really fun of running and for those who are trying to lose some weight. I love running and yeah it makes a difference.
ReplyThis is a good news for those who are really fun of running and for those who are trying to lose some weight. I love running and yeah it makes a difference.
ReplyYES!!! Now I realize why I'm prepetually hungry, even after a 4 mile workout that only burnt 300 calories. Yes, I fit the haulocaust survivor image (5'6, 90lbs), but I eat at LEAST 2500 calories a day and don't gain a scrap. I was wondering why I was able to take in so much food, its my mitochondria freaking out. THANKS!
ReplyHi everybody. I am totally, totally, confused. I picked up 'Running Made Easy' recently. It's stuffed with info on running and how to start, and how to make it part of your lifestyle. The week after, I read stuff on the net that maintained running was not brilliant for weight loss and was even DAMAGING to the body by 'rusting' it from the inside. Free radicals apparently cause the damage. Another web page declares that our bodies 'and not designed for continuous long-distance running'. Yet another web page says that running will 'age' you and make you look older. Another says running only burns calories during the run, and not after. Yet another says that sprinting and strength training is the ONLY was to go, and that to even consider running for times longer than 45 minutes was 'old-school cardio, and ludicrous and out-moded.' I am more confused than ever. Does running make you look old? Is it bad? Is it actually bad for your heart rather than helping it? I would LOVE some answers. Thanks guys.
Reply