Man climbs hill, elevation of 850'. Hard way is .5 miles, easy way is 1.5 miles.?

Question

The hard way has a pitch of 45 degrees, and the easy way has a pitch of 20 degrees.
Which way burns more calories - the hard way or the easy way? And why?

Answer 1

From a physics point of view, the same energy is required regardless of the path. Howver, the mechanical energy is only a small part of what the body uses to climb the hill. My guess is that the longer path will take more calories: you take more steps (more motion of the body) and it takes a longer overall time. You may feel more tired from the short path, but that doesn't necessarily mean you used more calories.

Answer 2

too many variables ignored. can't accurately answer this stupid question.