Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Oct 1;53(10):2164-2172.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002689.

Effect of Aerobic Exercise-induced Weight Loss on the Components of Daily Energy Expenditure

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of Aerobic Exercise-induced Weight Loss on the Components of Daily Energy Expenditure

Nicholas T Broskey et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. .

Abstract

Introduction: Exercise usually results in less weight loss than expected. This suggests increased energy intake and/or deceased expenditure counteract the energy deficit induced by exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in components of daily energy expenditure (doubly labeled water and room calorimetry) after 24 wk of exercise training with two doses of aerobic exercise.

Methods: This was an ancillary study in 42 (29 women, 13 men) sedentary, middle-age (47.8 ± 12.5 yr) individuals with obesity (35 ± 3.7 kg·m-2) enrolled in the Examination of Mechanisms of Exercise-induced Weight Compensation study. Subjects were randomized to three groups: healthy living control group (n = 13), aerobic exercise that expended 8 kcal·kg-1 of body weight per week (8 KKW, n = 14), or aerobic exercise that expended 20 kcal per kilogram of weight per week (20 KKW, n = 15). Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was measured in free-living condition by doubly labeled water and in sedentary conditions in a metabolic chamber over 24 h (24EE). Energy intake was calculated over 14 d from TDEE before and after the intervention using the intake-balance method.

Results: Significant weight loss occurred with 20 KKW (-2.1 ± 0.7 kg, P = 0.04) but was only half of expected. In the 20 KKW group free-living TDEE increased by ~4% (P = 0.03), which is attributed to the increased exercise energy expenditure (P = 0.001), while 24EE in the chamber decreased by ~4% (P = 0.04). Aerobic exercise at 8 KKW did not induce weight change, and there was no significant change in any component of EE. There was no significant change in energy intake for any group (P = 0.53).

Conclusions: Structured aerobic exercise at a dose of 20 KKW produced less weight loss than expected possibly due to behavioral adaptations leading to reduced 24EE in a metabolic chamber without any change in energy intake.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors having nothing to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Consort diagram of subject recruitment, enrollment, and final analysis.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:. Changes from baseline in the components of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) after a 24-week aerobic exercise intervention in a healthy living control (HL), a low dose of exercise (8 kcal/kg/week, KKW) and a high dose of exercise (20 kcal/kg/week, KKW).
All components are calculated from TDEE measured by doubly labeled water except for sleep energy expenditure, which was calculated in a whole-room respiratory chamber. SEE = sleep energy expenditure, TEF = thermic effect of food, arousal = SEE – resting energy expenditure in the chamber, SPA = spontaneous physical activity (measured in whole-room chamber), PA = physical activity (calculated as TDEE minus all other components). Changes are presented with the baseline value adjusted as the covariate in the model. *=p<0.05

References

    1. Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM et al.American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(2):459–71. - PubMed
    1. Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM et al.The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. American College of Sports Medicine., Pescatello LS, Arena R, Riebe D, Thompson PD. ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013, xxiv, 465 p. p. - PubMed
    1. Church TS, Martin CK, Thompson AM, Earnest CP, Mikus CR, Blair SN. Changes in weight, waist circumference and compensatory responses with different doses of exercise among sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women. PloS one. 2009;4(2):e4515. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ross R, Janssen I. Physical activity, total and regional obesity: dose-response considerations. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2001;33(6 Suppl):S521–7; discussion S8-9. - PubMed

Publication types