SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) — Exercisers trying to cut down on calories might want to take a run in the sun instead of a climate-controlled gym, according to a small Australian study.

The study of 11 physically active men found that participants ate less immediately after working out in hot conditions — about 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius) — than in a more moderate, 77 degree Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) environment.

On average, the men ate roughly 300 calories more when they worked out in moderate temperatures than when they exercised in the heat."Our findings suggest that if you exercise in a warmer environment you will eat less in the subsequent meal," researcher Dr. Kym Guelfi, of the University of Western Australia's School of Sports Science, told Reuters Health.

In theory, she said, that would be a good strategy for exercisers trying to lose weight. However, Guelfi added, future studies should look at whether warm-weather exercisers just make up for the smaller meals with larger ones later in the day.

For the study, which is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers had 11 young, regularly active men make several visits to the exercise lab. During one visit, the men ran on a treadmill for 40 minutes in 97 degree heat; on another visit, they performed the same workout under 77 degree conditions. On a third visit, they rested in a moderately warm room.