You Can Burn Almost 200 Calories By Watching A Horror Movie

horror movies burn calories

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Good news, scary movie junkies. There’s a huge upside to indulging in your obsession of all things horror. A University of Westminster study revealed that you could burn some serious calories by watching a horror film — almost 200 calories, in fact. That’s a pretty sweet deal…if you’re willing to pay the horrific price of watching.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the study measured the total energy expenditure of each participant after watching a different selection of horror movies. Researchers recorded the participants’ heart rate, oxygen intake and oxygen output to calculate approximately how many calories they each burned. So, how does the calorie burning work in this case, exactly?

“As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline,” Dr. Richard Mackenzie, senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the University of Westminster, told The Daily Telegraph. “It is this release of fast acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress, or in this case, brought on by fear, which is known to lower the appetite, increase the Basal Metabolic Rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories.”

Unsplash/Erik Witsoe

The average number of calories burned during a 90-minute adrenaline-pumping session was 113 calories, though the study found that participants who watched “The Shining” burned up to 184 calories. “Jaws” was a close second and resulted in participants burning an average of 161 calories during the film.

Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or not, watching a horror movie in the near future doesn’t sound too bad considering you could get a mini workout out of it. (Not exactly, but you get what we mean.) Whatever gets your heart pumping and your metabolism thumping!

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