Crying for Weight Loss: Does Crying Burn Calories?

Crying for Weight Loss: Does Crying Burn Calories?

Throughout my twelve year career as a personal trainer, I have been asked many questions by my clients about different ways to burn calories.

Today I am answering the question does crying burn calories?

Just as laughing can burn calories, it turns out that crying can have a similar effect, torching approximately 1.3 calories per minute.

While we observe an increase in heart rate and metabolism after shedding tears, it remains unclear how different types of crying, from a gentle tear to a full-blown Ugly Cry, might affect the calorie burn.

Surprisingly, no studies have been conducted on the exact caloric expenditure of a solid sob.

Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look at the effect of crying on calories

Does Crying Burn Calories?

Let’s explore the science behind crying, emotional release, and metabolism.

While laughter has been linked to modest calorie burning and various health benefits, the impact of crying on caloric expenditure may surprise you.

Just as laughing can burn calories, it turns out that crying can have a similar effect, torching approximately 1.3 calories per minute.

Surprisingly, no studies have been conducted on the exact caloric expenditure of a solid sob.

What Are Tears Made up Of?

Crying is a natural response to a range of emotions and also serves as a self-soothing reflex.

When we cry, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is activated, promoting relaxation.

Here are what tears are made up of:

Water

The primary component of tears is water, accounting for the majority of their composition. Water helps maintain the necessary moisture levels in the eyes, promoting clear vision and overall eye health.

Salt

Tears contain a small amount of salt, specifically sodium chloride. This saline solution helps keep the surface of the eyes moist and provides a balance of electrolytes necessary for proper eye function.

Protective Antibodies

Tears are not just a simple combination of water and salt; they also contain protective antibodies. These antibodies, such as immunoglobulin A (IgA), help defend the eyes against harmful microorganisms, preventing infections and promoting ocular health.

Enzymes

Tears also contain various enzymes such as Lysozyme that play important roles in maintaining eye health by providing protection against bacteria. This contributes to the antimicrobial properties of tears, further protecting the eyes from potential infections.

The Power of Tears

Collectively, these components work together to support the vital functions of tears. Water and salt maintain the moisture and electrolyte balance, while protective antibodies and enzymes provide defence against pathogens and promote ocular hygiene.

It is important to note that the precise composition of tears may vary slightly depending on factors such as an individual’s overall health, tear production rate, and specific environmental conditions.

However, the fundamental elements of water, salt, protective antibodies, and enzymes remain consistent in tears, ensuring their important roles in eye health and well-being.

Additionally, tears contain oxytocin and endorphins, hormones associated with pain relief and a sense of well-being. Interestingly, crying even has the ability to eliminate bacteria and maintain eye cleanliness due to the presence of lysozyme in tears.

However, excessive crying without an apparent reason can be a potential indicator of depression, so it’s important to be mindful of our emotional well-being.

Are You Crying Too Much?

Determining what defines excessive crying is challenging, lacking definitive guidelines.

Studies illuminate average crying patterns, revealing that, in the 1980s, women cried approximately 5.3 times monthly, contrasting men at 1.3 times. A recent study disclosed an average crying session duration of eight minutes.

Various factors contribute to frequent crying beyond immediate emotional responses, commonly associated with depression and anxiety. Neurological conditions can trigger uncontrollable episodes.

Depression, characterised by persistent sadness, may lead to excessive crying. Symptoms include hopelessness, low energy, and difficulty concentrating.

Excessive crying is more common in milder depression forms, as severe depression impedes emotional expression. Anxiety disorder, marked by heightened worry, also contributes to increased crying.

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) manifests as uncontrolled crying, often misdiagnosed as depression. It results from neurological disruptions affecting emotion-regulating brain areas, prevalent in stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, ALS, or multiple sclerosis.

Gender and personality influence crying frequency; women cry more, potentially influenced by testosterone.

Cultural norms and empathetic, anxious, or obsessive traits can also contribute.

Seek professional guidance if concerned about crying patterns for emotional well-being.

Tears of Anger

Now let’s shift our attention to anger.

While it’s a natural emotion, we often try to avoid it due to its challenging nature when not managed intentionally.

Yet, there are health benefits to acknowledging and effectively handling our anger.

Anger can alert us to problems, solidify our values and beliefs, and even serve as a motivator for change.

By acknowledging and managing anger, we can reduce stress on the heart and effectively manage pain.

On the other hand, suppressing anger has been linked to depression and anxiety, exacerbating the experience of pain and placing stress on the cardiovascular system.

Notably, research from three American universities has revealed that moral outrage can decrease appetite, potentially impacting our overall calorie count.

However, when left unchecked, anger can contribute to weight gain as stress lowers metabolism, particularly in women.

On average, untended stress and anger can result in a loss of approximately 104 calories per day.

Over time, this can lead to an unplanned weight gain of up to 11 pounds in a year.

Moreover, anger’s negative impact extends beyond caloric expenditure, affecting fat oxidation, insulin levels, and mental health.

Tears of Laughter

Laughter, they say, is the best medicine.

It turns out that laughing for just 15 minutes a day (in multiple sessions) can help us burn between 10 to 40 calories.

The calorie burn may vary depending on the quality of the jokes, as a good laugh can increase our heart rate by 10 to 20 percent and boost our metabolism.

Beyond caloric expenditure, laughing offers numerous health benefits. It reduces stress hormones, elevates our beta-endorphins (which combat feelings of depression), and increases human growth hormone levels, fortifying our defences against disease and infection.

Interestingly, even the mere anticipation of laughter can affect our body chemistry.

Whether we’re eagerly awaiting a punchline or eagerly waiting for the commercials before a funny movie, our brains respond, and our body’s chemistry changes.

Strangely enough, our brains can even react to fake laughter, demonstrating the powerful influence of laughter on our well-being.

But what about crying? Does shedding emotional tears have a similar effect on our calorie burn?

Does Crying Burn Calories? – Summary

In the grand scheme of things, emotions play a relatively minor role in daily calorie count compared to other factors such as sleep, which can burn a substantial 500 calories during a solid 8-hour rest.

Nevertheless, emotions significantly influence our overall well-being, highlighting the importance of understanding and managing them for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

As I always emphasise, remember that reaching and maintaining your desired weight involves consistently balancing the calories you consume with the ones you burn (calories in versus calories out).

Thanks for checking out this article on does crying burn calories?

Keep pushing.

Speak soon.

READ THIS NEXT

Danny Barrett is a personal trainer and body transformation specialist, but most of his clients come for his terrible jokes. Here’s how he’s spent twelve years helping people to burn fat without crazy workouts or restrictive diets.