Does the cold make us burn more calories?

in collaboration with

Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)

After a rather mild period in terms of outside temperatures, the cold is making a comeback in France. No less than 17 departments are on orange alert for different climatic episodes, such as snow and ice.

Cold, calorie consumer

We often associate the cold with chills, sneezing and winter viruses! If this is not totally false, we also forget that the cold will make us consume more calories. “In effect” confirms Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo, “the cold will trigger a physiological reaction in our body to keep it at a temperature of 37°C: it’s shivering. This is a muscle contraction, which therefore constitutes calorie consumption“Not enough to lose weight of course, it remains a minimal consumption.

An increase in heart contraction

The second phenomenon is the increase in heartbeat, which also leads to an increase in the consumption of calories in our body. “The heart is the pump that circulates blood to our organs and limbs. It is the blood that keeps us warm. If you feel cold, the heart will start beating harder to try to warm the body faster. It also leads to an increase in calorie consumption. adds Gérald Kierzek.

Top tips for fighting the cold

You will have understood: our body naturally fights against the cold to keep a stable body temperature. To help him, it may be useful to dress with layers of thin clothing, rather than a single thick layer, and to eat correctly, in a balanced and varied way because food is the first source of calories in which our body will draw to warm us up.