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Home » Lose Weight Safely » Does Thinking Burn Calories? What the Science Says – Healthline

After a long day at work or school, its common to feel tired. This is especially true if you do a lot of mental tasks, which can zap your physical energy.

In turn, you may wonder if the act of thinking burns more calories than mindless activities like watching television. After all, if youre tired after thinking, doesnt that mean youre burning energy?

Yes, but only to a certain extent. Although thinking hard uses calories, the energy burn is minimal. Its not enough to burn fat and cause weight loss.

The brain is also an organ, not a muscle. Exercise can grow your muscles, which makes them burn more calories. This concept doesnt apply to the brain.

Still, working out your brain has other benefits. It can boost cognitive functions like memory and focus, and slow down cognitive decline.

To learn how thinking affects your calorie burn, read on.

First, its important to understand how your body uses calories.

You burn energy even when youre sedentary. For example, as you read this article, your body is using calories to support:

Your brain also uses energy to perform normal functions. Although it makes up 2 percent of your body weight, it burns 20 percent of the energy you consume. This metabolic activity is generally consistent, regardless of what youre doing.

In fact, your brain burns more energy at rest than a human thigh while running.

Specifically, your brain gets energy from glucose. Glucose comes from the food you eat. The glucose enters your bloodstream, then travels to your brain.

Here, its used to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a form of energy. Your nerve cells need ATP to communicate and carry out cognitive tasks.

When you mentally exert yourself, your brain uses more energy to do the task. But its not much more than normal brain activities.

To put things into perspective, a 155-pound person burns about 23 calories per 30 minutes of sleep. Your brain performs the most basic functions during this time. Heres how other activities compare:

If a 155-pound person studies on a computer, theyll burn about 51 calories per 30 minutes. If they study at a desk or sit in class, theyll burn about 65 calories per 30 minutes.

The same 155-pound person burns about 42 calories in 30 minutes of reading while sitting. If they read while standing, theyll burn about 47 calories per 30 minutes.

Though thinking burns calories, its not enough to cause weight loss. The increase in calorie burn is small.

You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound. In 1 week, this equals out to 500 calories a day.

If you were to solely depend on mental tasks, youd need to exert yourself for many hours.

For example, as mentioned earlier, a 155-pound person burns about 42 calories in 30 minutes of reading. This person would have to read for almost 6 hours to burn 500 calories in a day.

Granted, occasionally moving around will increase calorie burn per hour. But it still wouldnt be enough to cause weight loss.

Its still beneficial to work out your brain. Examples of brain exercises and their benefits include:

All brain workouts are not equal, though. Its important to continuously challenge yourself. If you frequently repeat the same activities, your brain wont be as active.

Also, its a myth that age-related cognitive decline is inevitable. According to a 2015 article, lifestyle factors can protect and boost brain function. This includes the activities above, along with eating well and avoiding smoking.

Its normal to feel tired after going to the gym. Likewise, its typical to get tired after work or school, but its not the same thing.

Glucose is stored as glycogen in your muscles. When you exercise, your muscles break down glycogen and use glucose to move.

Eventually, your muscles run out of energy and you feel tired. It also becomes difficult for your central nervous system to contract your muscles. The result is physical fatigue.

Mental activity also uses glucose, but it doesnt require your muscles to break down glycogen. Instead, it causes mental exhaustion, which increases your perceived exertion of physical tasks, according to a 2017 review.

To increase your calorie burn, do exercises that involve your biggest muscles.

Larger muscles require more energy to move. Some of your largest muscles include:

Your brain burns calories to perform basic functions. It burns a bit more if you think really hard, but its not enough to make you lose weight.

That doesnt mean exercising your brain has no benefits. Activities like listening to music, doing puzzles, and learning new hobbies can all boost your cognitive function.

If you want to burn more calories, focus on exercise and healthy eating. Exercising your largest muscles, like your glutes and biceps, will increase your calorie burn.

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Does Thinking Burn Calories? What the Science Says - Healthline

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Home » Lose Weight Safely » Does Thinking Burn Calories? What the Science Says – Healthline