If you exercise when fatigued do you burn a handful more calories than when you are rested?
I know this is a dumb question, but this is something I tell myself when I am exhausted to motivate myself to do my workout. Even if the answer is no, I am going to keep telling myself it is true to keep myself from slacking
Posted Apr 25, 2016, 3:54 PM UTC
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There's a difference between, "Meh, I'm tired and want to sit around/lay down/watch tv/etc" and, "I've had so much going on this week, I could easily take a nap." kind of tiredness.
I think that line is different for everyone...on the one hand, don't overdue it. Don't strain your body too much, because getting too fatigued can prevent your body from recovering well after a workout and normal activities.
On the other hand, be honest with yourself. Are you feeling lazy, or genuinely tired? And will skipping one workout send you into a cycle of skipping multiple work outs? Or are you pushing yourself too hard, and mentally beating yourself up for skipping one workout, if you've been consistent for the rest of the week?
That being said, I'm not sure what the caloric difference is. I don't think it's enough to be worth it to drive yourself into exhaustion, though.
This is more the, "It is 3 am and cold and I have a 10 hour drive added to a full work day" kind of fatigue. Less muscle and more system. I always feel better after I finish, but I do tell myself that I am burning more so that I don't quit before I am done. I always figured it was a little white lie to myself, but then wondered if it might not be. And since this is the place for stupid questions.... :)
I understand. And if that thought keeps you motivated, go for it! Maybe someone with the actual science behind it will reply as well...as long as you have a healthy mindset and aren't going too far one way or the other (being obsessed with working out or not working out at all), keep it up!
Thanks! My guess is it is not true at all, but if it keeps me going, whatever. Not all lies are bad :)
If by "feel better" you mean "more energetic," you're almost certainly burning more calories afterwards than you would have otherwise. If you're lethargic, you move less, and if you feel energetic, you move more. Moving burns calories. Metabolism isn't some magic thing that makes some people randomly able to eat anything without an impact, but that doesn't make it totally bogus. Anything that causes you to move more will cause you to burn more calories. Because calories are, by definition, energy.
It is partly physical ("Wow! Now I am awake ") and partly mental ("I did this thing I didn't want to do and feel awake. Go me.").