Whether you're a seasoned runner or new to the sport, working out on an incline can increase the challenge of your workout and yield a greater total caloric expenditure. Incline running engages more muscle groups and muscle fibers to help propel your body forward, increasing the force and total energy you apply as you work out. If you have found yourself in a runner's slump, try incline running to improve strength, cardiovascular training and endurance.
Calories Burned
According the calorie calculator at Complete Strength Training, a 145-lb. individual who runs at 4.5 mph for 30 minutes at zero incline burns 273 calories. The same individual running at the same speed and duration at an incline fraction grade of 2 percent burns 294 pounds. A 175-lb. individual running at 4.5 mph for 30 minutes at zero incline burns 329 calories; at a 5-percent incline, he burns 394 calories. The amount of calories you burn during a session of incline training may vary depending on your age, weight, gender and current fitness level.
Explanation
According to ThatsFit.com, for every additional 5 percent of incline grade, a 150-lb. individual can burn an extra three to four calories per minute. This increased caloric burn occurs because running on a hill or incline requires more work than running on a flat surface. In incline running, not only are you propelling yourself forward, as you would on a flat surface, you also are working against gravity, forcing your entire weight upward. In addition, when you run on an incline, you have to push off each foot with more intensity and from a position further behind your body, which calls for greater activation of your glutes, calves and all of your hamstring muscles.
Study
A 1996 study based on work done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and Veteran Affairs Center and reported in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" compared the energy expenditure at specific ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for six indoor exercise machines. Eight men and five women, all healthy young adult volunteers, were observed over a four-week period as they used the six machines: an Airdyne, a cross-country skiing simulator, cycle ergometer, rowing ergometer, stair stepper and treadmill. The subjects exercised on each machine for three five-minute segments, each segment increasing in intensity from fairly light to somewhat heavy to heavy. Oxygen consumption and heart rate levels were measured during the final segment, and blood lactate levels were taken after each test. Subjects who worked out at a somewhat heavy intensity on the treadmill, whether in increased speed or greater incline, burned 40 percent more calories as compared to the cycle ergometer, which produced the lowest energy expenditure.
Tips
You can reap the benefits of walking or running on an incline, whether you prefer exercising outdoors through the hills or indoors with the stability and control of a treadmill. If you run on a treadmill at an incline, you may be tempted to grasp the handlebars to ease the burden off your legs. However, holding onto the bars while exercising actually causes you to burn less calories because your legs aren't doing the work by themselves. Avoid the temptation of holding the handrails by lowering the speed or incline level of the treadmill to the point that you can walk or jog without needing the assistance of the handrails. At this level, swing your arms or carry light dumbbells to engage more muscle groups, increasing your total caloric burn.
References
- Journal of the American Medical Association; Energy Expenditure With Indoor Exercise Machines; Anne I. Zeni, et al.; 1996
- Consumer Health Digest: Burn More Calories with Your Treadmill
- Thatsfit.com; Hill Yes! To a Bigger Calorie Burn; Liz Neporent; Sept. 30, 2009
- Complete Strength Training: Simple Calories Burned While Walking Calculator
- Running Planet; Leg Blasting Circuit; Rick Morris
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