Calories and Skiing

Calories and Skiing; What’s the real fuss?

Is there a healthy correlation between skiing and calories? Let us rephrase. Is there a healthy correlation between skiing and losing calories? You probably did not have to think too much to answer that question. Of course, there is but don’t only take our word for it, just ask the experts and countless amounts of snowsports athletes that visit the Alps repeatedly every season. But why is this a topic anyway? Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), not only is it a recurring topic of discussion among snow sports enthusiasts but there is also quite a fair bit of sports science research into the correlation between skiing and burning calories. But we believe the main reason it seems to be a huge topic is so that visitors to the Alps can happily indulge in all the tasty food (like this beaut!) and not feel guilty about it because they can look forward to burning it all on the slopes the next day!

How many calories does skiing burn?

Skiing is an intense fast-paced workout that can be very easily classed as an aerobic activity due to its reliance on the cardiovascular system of the human body. It is a high-intensity sport that makes use of interval cycles of high and low-intensity activity; during the low-intensity period, the body gets in a recovery phase where it starts to burn fat to produce energy for recovery and in the high-intensity phase it starts to burn any carbohydrate reserves. Multiple scientific studies have shown that skiing ranks among some of the very best high-intensity interval training workouts. Skiing is an ideal exercise choice for individuals who are looking to burn calories. The intensity of the skiing will certainly determine the number of calories burned by the skier; however, research has also shown that even on low-intensity easy downhill runs it is still possible to burn up to 350 calories an hour. That leaves one to imagine the number of calories lost on long glacier runs or cross-country skiing which may easily last for hours on end, the number could be very easily anything up to 1000 calories. In fact, cross-country skiing at a moderate intensity will burn between 640 and 850 calories every hour. There are multiple studies that show us very similar figures of calorie losses as a result of skiing and snowsport activities. In general, intermediate skiers can burn as high as 600 calories an hour by skiing just red runs which have more challenging terrain than blues. Blue runs still do give us a nice workout where up to 400 calories can be burned on the hour.

Can I consume extra calories on my ski holiday and not gain any weight?

There is no straightforward answer to this question however, eating more calories on holiday than you would normally have and not gaining weight is a possibility if you do engage in active skiing on a daily basis while you are on your ski holiday. Hypothetically speaking, if your average daily calorie burn is 100-150 calories per day of just walking around the house or the office, and on your holiday, you ski between 4-6 hours every day, you could be burning an additional 350-400 pounds per hour. This means it is possible to burn an additional 2000 calories per day. Remember, it is only possible if you are active on the slopes.

How do these calories get broken down?

Whilst this may certainly read as amazing news for such individuals looking to burn calories on slopes, it is important to note that not all individuals are the same and we all tend to burn calories differently. The older you get, the harder it may become to burn calories and if you are above 40 years old, you may burn fewer calories than that of a 20-year-old who has just completed the same runs as you did. If you are keen on increasing your calories burned while skiing, then you may have to consider increasing your skiing intensity and the types of pistes you choose will ultimately help or hinder your speed at burning calories. Perhaps start opting for the red runs over blues ( only if you are qualified and comfortable enough to do this of course). If you are an advanced skier, the black runs and off-piste are high-intensity runs that would be always guaranteed to keep you active and under pressure.

In Conclusion

In general, skiing can be a great calorie burner and high-intensity cardiovascular workout. Even a gentle pace on an easy blue or nursery green can burn calories. If burning calories is one of your goals at the resorts then ensure you look for the powder runs, and get some intense runs going; if you are a cross-country skier, you’re in the right type of calorie losing business. And finally, if you are eating any extra calories calories on your ski holiday, don’t forget, you are allowed to.