Q = If I exercise at a high enough intensity to keep my heartrate in the 75-80% of max during an aerobic workout, will I burn the same amount of calories regardless of the activity?
A = Heart rate is only one factor in a group of other body indicators (e.g. heat changes) that need to be considered when determining the calories burned during a workout (or any other time). But if you are performing an aerobic workout -- defined as large muscle groups working continuously - then the answer is "close enough". Therefore, in the act of running, rowing, stair-stepping, etc., the calories burned during each activity will be fairly equal if your heart rate is the same. The differences come when you are not well-adapted to the activity. In other words, as you get better at running (more efficient at the movement, which is a natural physiological adaptation) you will burn slightly fewer calories than you did at the same heart rate when you where less proficient at the activity (even while at the same body weight). The difference is slight and in the big picture (total calories burned per week) not important. That said, if body fat reduction is the primary goal and reducing food intake and spending more time exercising is not an option, we always recommend changing the modes and intensity (increase) of aerobic activity approximately every 2-3 weeks in order to keep the body from making a complete adaptation and thus helping to burn a few more calories during and after training.
Yours in Health, Wellness, and Beauty,Co-Founder of STOP, Stop the Obesity Pandemic
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