Intensive cooling has been shown to increase energy expenditure (EE) during work as well as to decrease physical performance. Two different levels of moderate cooling (10°C vs 15°C) were studied during light endurance exercise in order to examine the effect of the increased heat loss on EE. Twelve subjects performed a 90‐min low intensity exercise (100 W) on a cycle ergometer, wearing a water‐cooled calorimeter suit for controlled cooling. The lower temperature resulted in a 4.3±3.8% (mean±SD) higher EE, increased total heat loss and lowered skin temperatures. No differences in central core body temperature, heart rate or respiratory quotient (RQ) were recorded. There was a relation between differences in the rate of heat loss and the corresponding increase in EE. Even a small increase in cooling during endurance exercise increased EE which may be a relevant problem in winter