How many calories and how much fat swimming burns depends on the length and intensity of the workout. Competitive swimmers are heavier and taller than runners, according to a 2007 article in "The New York Times." This difference perhaps helps fuel the theory that swimming does not enable weight loss. While the near weightless aquatic environment benefits larger-framed athletes, it also requires strength and flexibility to overcome the increased resistance of the water.
Fueling Motion
Muscular function depends on the presence and breakdown of adenosphine triphosphate, or ATP. The molecule contains three phosphate groups in its structure. ATP breaks down into ADP, or adenosphine diphosphate. As the names suggest, adenosphine triphosphate has three phosphate groups, whereas adenosphine diphosphate has only two. Present in the cells and fibers in skeletal muscles, ATP releases energy along with its third phosphate during its transformation into ADP, or adenosphine diphosphate. The energy released allows muscle fibers to contract and the body to move. Once the stores of ATP disappear, glucose in the form of glycogen provides the fuel needed to reattach the phosphate back to its parent molecule, reloading the ADP back into ATP. The process of breakdown starts again and motion continues.
The body gets its carbohydrate fuel from existing stores in the muscle tissue, blood stream or liver. Sometimes, it gets fuel from the breakdown of stored body fat or adipose tissue.
Burning Fat
According to USA Swimming, the percentage of fat burned increases as pace decreases. Slow and steady exercise allows the body the luxury of burning fat. Fats are not the most efficient fuel, and when fast-paced exercise demands instant energy, fat stays intact in favor of quicker metabolized carbohydrates. A slow, steady swim burns fewer calories than intense sprints or interval work, but it burns a higher percentage of fat as its fuel.
Burning Calories
Moderate-intensity lap swimming burns about 500 calories per hour. The faster a swimmer moves, the higher the number of calories burned per hour but the less percentage of fat burned versus carbohydrate. The slower a swimmer moves, the higher the percentage of fat burned as fuel, but the lower the number of total calories burned in a given time.
Long, moderately paced workouts burn the most fat and burn a high number of calories, due to the duration of the swim. Swimming for at least 1 hour yields good results.
Swimming Sets
Swim this fat-burning workout in either a 25 m or 50 m pool. Keep a slow to moderate pace for the extended sets.
Start the workout with a 1,000 m freestyle. Start on a warm-up pace for the first 400 m, and then descend---meaning, increase pace---to a moderate but comfortable speed for the remaining 600 m of this section.
Swim 4 X 300 m, descending, alternating freestyle, backstroke and freestyle every 100 m.
Perform 2 X 100 m kick freestyle.
Do 800 m pulling using hand paddles and letting the legs trail behind. Use flotation buoys for legs if needed.
Swim 200 m warm down
Total distance for the workout is 3,400 m.
Considerations
Diet determines whether the fat burned stays off and whether the calories burned make a dent in the total calorie intake for the day. Healthy foods and moderate portions help weight loss. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, exercise benefits health regardless of fat or calories burned. The 2008 guidelines advise that health benefits occur with at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise. The number equates to 1/2 hour per day of exercise, five or more days per week.
References
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Summary
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss---Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- USA Swimming: Fueling Your Stroke
- Swimmer: Swimming for Weight Loss
- "The New York Times"; Bigger Is Better, Except When It's Not; Gina Kolata; September 2007
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