With the spooky season upon us, is it possible to skip the gym and instead pick up a scary movie with some friends? According to an informal study (not peer-reviewed) by the University of Westminster, watching a 90-minute horror movie can burn up to 140 calories, roughly the same as a 30-minute walk.
The calorie burn depends on the number of jump scares and adrenaline spikes a person experiences during the movie. The study measured carbon dioxide levels, heart rate, and oxygen intake. Results indicated that a surge of adrenaline burns calories by increasing heart rate, which stimulates the body’s need for energy during the “fight-or-flight” response. This quick rush of adrenaline during moments of fear or stress can also suppress hunger and raise the BMR (basal metabolic rate), resulting in calorie loss.
The study analyzed ten different horror films and ranked them as follows:
- The Shining: 184 calories
- Jaws: 161 calories
- The Exorcist: 158 calories
- Alien: 152 calories
- Saw: 133 calories
- A Nightmare on Elm Street: 118 calories
- Paranormal Activity: 111 calories
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 107 calories
- The Blair Witch Project: 105 calories
[Rec]: 101 calories (Spanish zombie horror film)
The top three films contain the most “jump scares,” which are the moments that elevate heart rate and trigger adrenaline surges. Films on the lower end of the list were considered “gentler” horror movies, relying more on suspense and psychological tension than sudden scares.
Another formal study conducted in 1990 involved twelve young men who watched two types of films: a stress-inducing horror movie and a romantic family movie (Weststrate et al., 1990). The results showed that the horror film caused a greater rise in participants’ energy expenditure compared to the other film.
So, is trading the gym for a horror movie marathon a good idea? Obviously not. Even though these films may help burn a few calories, those gains are quickly canceled out by the popcorn and soda we all love to enjoy during a movie night.
Sources:
Watching Horror Films Burns Calories; This Isn’t A Trick. (2022, October 26). MYPROTEINTM. https://us.myprotein.co
Weststrate, J. A., Van der Kooy, K., Deurenberg, P., & Hautvast, J. G. (1990). The effect of psychological stress on diet-induced thermogenesis and resting metabolic rate. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 44(4), 269–275.
Wow, I've never considered that fear (like from watching a movie) could induce calorie usage! Could a similar trend be noticed in those who play horror video games? The only study that is even remotely similar is this one (Mitre N, Foster RC, Lanningham-Foster L, Levine JA. The energy expenditure of an activity-promoting video game compared to sedentary video games and TV watching. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2011;24(9-10):689-95. doi: 10.1515/jpem.2011.013. PMID: 22145458; PMCID: PMC3900116.), details how active vs. passive video games keep players in better health. However I wonder what video games could relate to these movies in terms of calorie burning?
ReplyDeleteI love horror movies! So reading this blog was super fun! I was curious if there was a study done on sad movies and how many calories were burned while watching them. I tried to find something but I really didn't find anything. There was also some metabolic-rate studies that didn't show a meaningful increase in energy expenditure. There was some studies that saw a decrease in the metabolic rate. There was an "exciting film" study that also showed a minimal increase. So in my expenditure for further studies there has not been any significant studies on metabolic processes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the fun post!
References:
Klesges RC, Shelton ML, Klesges LM. Effects of television on metabolic rate: potential implications for childhood obesity. Pediatrics. 1993 Feb;91(2):281-6. PMID: 8424001.