When you are trying to lose weight, the first thing that comes to your mind is to burn more calories than you consume. But what if I tell you that you can burn more calories just by sitting at a higher elevation? Yes, you heard it right! Altitude can play a significant role in burning calories. Many people believe that being at a high altitude can help you burn more calories. But is it true?
What is Altitude?
Altitude is the height of a location above sea level. As we move higher above sea level, the air pressure decreases, and the amount of oxygen in the air decreases. The higher we go, the harder it becomes to breathe as the atmospheric pressure decreases. This is because the air pressure is lower at higher altitudes, so there are fewer air molecules per volume of space.
How Does Altitude Affect Your Body?
When you are at a higher altitude, your body has to work harder to breathe in oxygen. This means that your lungs have to work harder to extract the same amount of oxygen that you would get at sea level. This increased effort of breathing causes your heart rate to increase, and your body releases more adrenaline and noradrenaline due to stress.
The Effect of Altitude on Metabolism
The metabolic rate is the rate at which our body burns calories. The metabolic rate varies from person to person, depending on many factors, including age, gender, weight, and height. However, research suggests that our metabolic rate increases at altitude.
A study conducted in 2010 by researchers from the University of Colorado found that people who lived at high altitude had a significantly lower BMI than those who lived at low altitudes. BMI stands for Body Mass Index, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Does Altitude Make You Burn More Calories?
The short answer is yes, altitude can make you burn more calories. However, the number of additional calories you can burn at altitude may not be that significant. According to experts, being at a high altitude can increase your metabolic rate by 10%. This means that if you normally burn 2000 calories per day, you would burn an extra 200 calories per day at high altitudes.
Does Altitude Affect Weight Loss?
Although altitude can increase your metabolic rate and help you burn more calories, it may not have a significant impact on weight loss. The key to losing weight is to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. While being at a high altitude can help you burn extra calories, it is not a substitute for proper diet and exercise.
Additionally, altitude can have adverse effects on your body, including dehydration, muscle fatigue, and altitude sickness. Dehydration occurs because the air at high altitudes is very dry, which can cause you to lose more water through your breath and sweat. Muscle fatigue occurs because of the increased effort needed to breathe in oxygen, which can lead to fatigue and reduced exercise capacity. Altitude sickness can occur when you ascend to a high altitude too quickly, causing symptoms such as headache, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Conclusion
Altitude can make you burn more calories. Still, it may not have a significant impact on weight loss, and it can have adverse effects on your body. Therefore, it is essential to follow a proper diet and exercise routine to lose weight and maintain good health.
References
- Burtscher, M. (2010). Effects of living at higher altitudes on obesity, sleep apnea, and other medical conditions. Advances in Cardiology, 47-61.
- Rijal, K., & Shrestha, A. (2019). The Effects of High Altitude on Human Metabolism – A Review. Nepal Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(1), 16-22.
- Wilber, R. L. (2001). Application of altitude/hypoxic training by elite athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(5), 149-156.
FAQs
- Do you burn more calories at high altitude?
- How much more calories do you burn at high altitude?
- Does altitude affect weight loss?
- What are the adverse effects of altitude on the body?
Yes, you can burn more calories at high altitude due to the increased metabolic rate caused by the body’s need to work harder to breathe in oxygen.
Experts suggest that being at a high altitude can increase your metabolic rate by up to 10%. This means that if you normally burn 2000 calories per day, you would burn an extra 200 calories per day at high altitudes.
Although altitude can increase your metabolic rate and help you burn more calories, it may not have a significant impact on weight loss. The key to losing weight is to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume.
Altitude can have adverse effects on the body, including dehydration, muscle fatigue, and altitude sickness. Dehydration occurs because the air at high altitudes is very dry, which can cause you to lose more water through your breath and sweat. Muscle fatigue occurs because of the increased effort needed to breathe in oxygen, which can lead to fatigue and reduced exercise capacity. Altitude sickness can occur when you ascend to a high altitude too quickly, causing symptoms such as headache, nausea, and shortness of breath.