Here is a weird question. How much does it matter how hot you get when doing cardio? I mean when I do cardio, I start to sweat and then sometimes I turn the fan in my direction to help cool off, but in the winter months I probably wouldn’t sweat if I do that. But I’m afraid that if I’m not hot enough the fat burning is diminished, so I reluctant even in the summer to use the fan. Does this make sense?
I run 3 1/2 miles a day and I read somewhere that your body actually uses more energy to maintain body temperature in cold weather and, therefore, you burn more fat in colder weather. I warm weather you’re just sweating off water, but not really burning as much fat.
Heat stress will increase the amount of energy required to perform a given exercise. However, using the fan is helping your body deal with the heat it’s generating from the exercise. The cooler weather conditions in winter usually create a lower humidity condition, and sweat then evaporates more quickly, carrying heat with it. The end result is that you don’t need the fan to dissapate the heat, but you are basically generating just as much from the exercise. If you eschew the fan to make yourself “hotter”, you’re only risking heat injury, dehydration, and longer recovery times. Not worth it.