Weight loss from diving in cold water

[tlawler]

I found this thread and it got me to thinking. If I dive without exposure protection in moderately cold (80 to 82 deg.) water and do some hard swimming for an extended length of time, say if I monitor my heart rate and maintain my optimal rate like I would if I was on a stat. bike or treadmill, will I burn significantly more calories due to the body trying to maintain core temp? Or do self preservation mechanisms such as vaso-constriction negate any advantage to scuba aerobics?

I'm doing this in approx. 20 to 22 ft. of water usually and keep my breathing rate well below my regs limit, so I don't get to the point of being out of breath and I don't stay down so long that I start to become hypothermic.

Just curious as to what any experts may think of this idea. Pros? Cons?

 

[tlawler]

Come on... no one wants to "weigh" in on this one? Pun intended

 

[Thalassamania]

It's my understanding that your body can not just turn up the thermostat to stay warm except by shivering which burns a lot of calories, Swimming hard will burn calories.

 

[Geoff_H]

I found this thread and it got me to thinking. If I dive without exposure protection in moderately cold (80 to 82 deg.) water and do some hard swimming for an extended length of time, say if I monitor my heart rate and maintain my optimal rate like I would if I was on a stat. bike or treadmill, will I burn significantly more calories due to the body trying to maintain core temp? Or do self preservation mechanisms such as vaso-constriction negate any advantage to scuba aerobics?

I would think any weight-loss would be better achived in a lower-risk environment like a gym or swimming pool. What is the advantage of doing in underwater? If you are swimming hard enough to raise your breathing and exertion level I doubt you would be enjoying the dive.

fftopic:

I would have to disagree with your assessment that 80 to 82 degree water is moderately cold though - that's tropical balmy to me! That is board shorts terrority for me for sure....

 

[tlawler]

It's my understanding that your body can not just turn up the thermostat to stay warm except by shivering which burns a lot of calories, Swimming hard will burn calories.

Ah, yes; but my question was: Will being in a higher heat loss environment(cool water) increase the amount of calories burned over that of doing the exact same amount of work on a piece of gym equipment? So do you actually have to shiver to enable the mechanism of burning calories by being cold?

I would think any weight-loss would be better achived in a lower-risk environment like a gym or swimming pool. What is the advantage of doing in underwater? If you are swimming hard enough to raise your breathing and exertion level I doubt you would be enjoying the dive.

fftopic:

I would have to disagree with your assessment that 80 to 82 degree water is moderately cold though - that's tropical balmy to me! That is board shorts terrority for me for sure....

What's risky about diving in 20 ft. of water? My comfort level is normal, I'm not stressed. In fact I find it rather calming to be diving and swimming. And yes, I do still enjoy the dive.

I agree that water at that temp. isn't exactly cold, but it's what I can stand without neoprene comfortably for about an hour if I'm not exerting too much. If I'm swimming hard like I'm talking about, It's just right to keep from getting overheated. I'm also using a heart rate monitor and stay in my target range specified by my $40 an hour personal trainer that I used to use and I hydrate frequently by carrying a camal backpack attached to my tank. When I posed this question to her, she didn't have a clue, but then again she doesn't even swim. I just can't stand doing the stat. bike thing or treadmills for cardio. I've tried reading (not easy when you're on a treadmill, believe me), watching TV (broadcast stuff and tivo'd programs and even movies) and I don't seem to be able to get into it. I still do weight training, but I'm trying to find my cardio niche. It does seem to be working, both from an enjoyment standpoint and from physical results. I just wanted to see if there was any empirical evidence of it, rather than my own anecdotal evidence.

 

[Thalassamania]

Ah, yes; but my question was: Will being in a higher heat loss environment(cool water) increase the amount of calories burned over that of doing the exact same amount of work on a piece of gym equipment? So do you actually have to shiver to enable the mechanism of burning calories by being cold?

I believe that you have to shiver.

 

[DandyDon]

I believe that you have to shiver.

I don't. There is heat loss from the body even at 80F, more so in cooler water that does not cause shiver, so the body will burn more calories to maintain.

On the other hand, while I am not likely to shiver diving 80F in just a skin unless I get chilled by post dive wind, some divers will shiver from 80F diving even in significant neoprene. I know one lady who dives a dry suit in 80F.

 

[SteveAD]

If you're exercising hard enough to cause any significant weight loss, your breathing rate will be thru the roof relative to any normal dive, and you will blow thru a tank in no time flat. Swim laps at the surface.

 

[TSandM]

Your body does not have a real-time mechanism for increasing metabolic rate. If core temperature starts to fall, the first response is vasoconstriction to reduce peripheral heat loss, and when further drops occur, shivering ensues. Shivering is extremely inefficient muscle activity and burns a lot of calories, and produces a fair amount of heat.

If your core temperature falls, but not enough to cause shivering, you will slowly rewarm post-dive as a result of your normal metabolic processes, combined with the vasoconstriction (and probably with your donning of warm, insulating clothing as well). There's no increased calorie usage involved.

 

[DandyDon]

I stand corrected - again. :silly: