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I have noticed a difference in my workouts when the only factor I change is the temperature of the room in which I workout.

I am aware that there are risks and benefits to exercising in hotter temperatures, as discussed in this thread, but I'd like to know how the heat specifically effects burning calories. In other words, will I burn more or less calories in a room that is warmer than another - or does it matter at all?

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  • I don't think external heat is going to help your body burn more calories. Instead work out at a pleasant temperature and push yourself harder without overheating, which you would in a high temperature environment – Ivo Flipse Apr 18 '13 at 14:54
  • Obviously you want to burn more calories than you consume if you're trying to lose fat. The question here is really about the science behind calorie burn, and how being in a warmer room (and thus effecting your body temperature) affects that burn. – user1205577 Apr 18 '13 at 23:18
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    I think you misunderstood the intention. If you're in a hot room, your body is less able to cool you, so you can't exert yourself even further. So working out in a cooler environment would allow you to push yourself further. Being in a hot environment would likely only make you sweat more, but not necessarily burn more calories – Ivo Flipse Apr 19 '13 at 11:23
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The energy you burn exercising is not directly connected to the ambient temperature. In fact you body is very efficient at regulating its temperature (within reasonable limits). So the only thing that changes as temperature go up is that you are going to sweat more to maintain normal body temperature, hence you will need to drink more to stay hydrated (See how dehydration affects performance).

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