Chess players are burning SO MANY CALORIES because of stress

It’s the new workout that won’t sweep the nation.

New technology being introduced into the chess world might definitively prove that chess is, in fact, a sport.

Several players are opting in to have their heart rates monitored during games, and so far it’s proving just how stressful the world of professional chess is. Grandmaster Mikhail Antipov is the leader on Monday, burning 560 calories during two hours of play.

We all passively burn calories, but the numbers show that Antipov is burning them at a rate that is consistent with moderate activity, all while sitting. It takes roughly an hour of walking at 3.5 mph to burn 560 calories — and Antipov is half that just sitting at the table.

It all comes with the elevated heart rates that comes with the stress from play. A higher heart rate necessitates more breathing, and it’s the inhale and exhaling of air that burns the majority of our passive calories throughout the day.

Now if only we can find a way to apply this level of stress to everyday work — then we’d be in business.