Busting Myths About Calories Burned - Walking versus Running

istockphoto.com

“It doesn’t make any difference if you walk or run, you’ll burn the same amount of calories per mile.”   I’ve heard that before. So had my sister. So had Amby Burfoot, editor of Runner’s World.  Somehow I felt that wasn’t true, so I decided to research it by testing it myself and reviewing other research.

My Experiment

I used my Polar Heart Rate Monitor to walk and run a mile at the same pace to determine if there was a difference.  Hearing that calorie counts on devices can be inaccurate I also researched the validity of using my heart rate monitor.  I found that since I’ve entered my personal data and done a fitness test, the heart rate monitor is reasonably valid.  I ran this experiment for three days on the treadmill under controlled conditions (same time of day, same starting heart rate, same room temperature,  etc.).  I averaged 60 calories walking one mile at a 4 MPH pace and 88 calories running the mile at the same pace. I burned 47% more calories running.  Jogging the mile at a 4.6 MPH,  I burned an average of 92 calories, 50% more calories, in less time.

Professional  Research

In How Many Calories Are You Really Burning, Runner’s World,  David Swain, Ph.D.in exercise physiology, who has researched “Metabolic Calculations” says "When you perform a continuous exercise, you burn five calories for every liter of oxygen you consume, and running in general consumes a lot more oxygen than walking." (1) The article sites a University of Syracuse study that measured actual calorie burn in 12 men and 12 women while running and walking1600 meters (about a mile) on a treadmill. The men burned an average of 124 calories while running and 88 while walking and the women burned 105 and 74.

So my semi-scientific research plus professional research busts the common myth that walking and running burn the same amount of calories.  If you want insight into the possible origin of this myth, the Runner’s world article explains that this myth probably originated from a misinterpretation of Newton’s Law.

Not a runner?  The Nutristrategy website gives a nice summary of calories burned per hour for many activities based on your weight. (2)

Some Bad News

The good news is if you work harder, you burn more calories. The bad news, however, is that the Heart Rate Monitor calculates Total Calories Burned, not Net Calories Burned (see the Runner's World article). The Net Calories burned gives a more accurate assessment of how many extra calories you are actually burning.  To calculate the Net Calories Burned  you have to subtract your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the rate your body burns calories while doing nothing (see Discovery Health Basal Metabolic Rate to calculate your BMR. That give you the calories you’ll burn all day, so divide it by 24 to get the calories burned per hour.)   In my case, I have to subtract 13 calories from my 88 calories burned, netting only 75 calories, or about 12 grapes.    

Don’t let the fact that you’re not burning as many calories as you think stop you from exercising. Calories aren’t the only benefit of cardio exercise. Cardio exercise increases your metabolic rate overall, increases heart health and helps prevent or manage diabetes. There’s also the psychological benefits: cardio increases the hormones that give you a sense of well-being and affects learning and attention. (3)

1. Runner's World, How Many Calories are you Really Burning, , September 2008, Amby Burfoot
2. Nutristrategy, Calories Burned During Activities, Sports and Exercises Chart
3. Lifestyle, 5 Health Benefits To Cardio Exercise, Brenda Jackson in Lifestyle on Feb 22, 2010