most effective way to burn calories while running?

[Matt26]

does a person burn more calories if they run slower instead of faster?


i ask this because i've been experimenting with different running speeds recently.. i started out running at a slower pace and was able to burn off between 700-800 calories running almost 7.5 kilometers... i found myself naturally increasing the speed of my running and in doing so, noticed that my calories burned was going down to as low as 600 or less in some cases.


last night i decided to try my run at a noticeably slower pace, pretty much to the point of jogging, just concentrating on my form and consistency with movement, with a bit of bounce in my step.. when i was done i had burned over 700 calories.


besides the change in pace, there are a couple other factors that may have come into play- time of day and clothing worn. from what i can recall, i burned more calories when i ran during the day instead of the evening, when it was nice and warm outside, instead of cooler in the evening. i also normally wear a t-shit and shorts when running, and last night i wore track pants and a long sleeve shirt (thin material) since it's getting a bit cooler outside. i suppose there's also the possibility that my heart rate monitor is not recording all of my calories burned accurately, too.


so is there any logic behind all of this, or am i just missing something here?

 

[PLB]

Temperature will definitely make a difference.... Did you run 7.5 km for all of your runs?

 

[Matt26]

Originally Posted by PLBFitness


Temperature will definitely make a difference.... Did you run 7.5 km for all of your runs?

yes, same path every time.. i normally run in the evenings during the week, then during the day on the weekends.


for the evening runs, i've noticed that my calories burned has been in the 600 area (on average) over the last number of weeks, then one evening when i slowed the pace and changed the clothing i was wearing i burned over 700 calories... i don't know if the clothing has any bearing, but maybe because i'm wearing more than i might be warmer during the run and sweating more?

 

[PLB]

I would think that it has to do with your overall time. When you're running, you're burning more calories per hour, but it takes you much less time to run 7.5 km than jog, so overall your caloric intake could end up being less... Does that make sense? Do a little experiment - rather than keeping the distance the same, keep the time the same. For example, for one run, go at your 'slow' pace for 45 mins. For your next run, go at your 'fast' pace for 45 mins. Wear the same clothing if possible. See what your calories burned is when you keep the time rather than the distance the same.

 

[Matt26]

Originally Posted by PLBFitness


I would think that it has to do with your overall time. When you're running, you're burning more calories per hour, but it takes you much less time to run 7.5 km than jog, so overall your caloric intake could end up being less... Does that make sense? Do a little experiment - rather than keeping the distance the same, keep the time the same. For example, for one run, go at your 'slow' pace for 45 mins. For your next run, go at your 'fast' pace for 45 mins. Wear the same clothing if possible. See what your calories burned is when you keep the time rather than the distance the same.

yeah i was thinking about the time factor, too... on one hand, i think that more effort (faster) is going to push your body more, thus more calories burned... and on the other hand, the longer you go for the more calories you're going to burn in the end.


good idea with the experiment, i'll give that a try!

 

[volitionfit]

What PLB is suggesting is basic periodization of the cardio. You need to switch up intensities and times to see changes, as the body will only adapt if you continuously feed it new stimulus and information. You need to continually ramp effort, time, difficulty, etc to see changes in response. Start performing sprints on one day, longer walks on another, and distance runs on the others. unfortunately you cant do the same thing over and over, as the body will just get used to it and no longer respond.


Boise Personal Trainer, Boise Fitness

 

[PLB]

Originally Posted by volitionfit


What PLB is suggesting is basic periodization of the cardio. You need to switch up intensities and times to see changes, as the body will only adapt if you continuously feed it new stimulus and information. You need to continually ramp effort, time, difficulty, etc to see changes in response. Start performing sprints on one day, longer walks on another, and distance runs on the others. unfortunately you cant do the same thing over and over, as the body will just get used to it and no longer respond.



Boise Personal Trainer, Boise Fitness

Sorry, but that isn't at all what I was suggesting. Not to say that it's a bad idea to switch up the routine, but that's just not what this conversation was about.