Why do individuals not lose more weight from an exercise intervention at a defined dose? An energy balance analysis
Open accessAbstract
Summary: Weight loss resulting from an exercise intervention tends to be lower than predicted. Modest weight loss can arise from an increase in energy intake, physiological reductions in resting energy expenditure, an increase in lean tissue or a decrease in non‐exercise activity. Lower than expected, weight loss could also arise from weak and invalidated assumptions within predictive models. To investigate these causes, we systematically reviewed studies that monitored compliance to exercise prescriptions and measured exercise‐induced change in body composition. Changed body energy stores were calculated to determine the deficit between total daily energy intake and energy expenditures. This information combined with available measurements was used to critically evaluate explanations for low exercise‐induced weight loss. We conclude that the small magnitude of weight loss observed from the majority of evaluated exercise interventions is primarily due to low doses of prescribed exercise energy expenditures compounded by a concomitant increase in caloric intake.
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The prediction of weight loss based on such methods has recently been revised.
“But note that the prediction of weight loss based on such methods has recently been revised [15, 16].”
From Appetite control and energy balance: Impact of exercise (2015) · cites this paper as [16]
This type of calculation which uses the 1 kg of fat for 8000 kcal rule has recently been shown by Hall and others to be simplistic and to produce implausible predictions.
“This type of calculation which uses the 1 kg of fat for 8000 kcal rule has recently been shown by Hall [15] and others [16] to be simplistic and to produce implausible predictions.”
From Appetite control and energy balance: Impact of exercise (2015) · cites this paper as [16]
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References 44 · Cited by 280
- Authors
- Thomas, D. M., Bouchard, C., Church, T., Slentz, C., Kraus, W. E., Redman, L. M., Martin, C. K., Silva, A. M., Vossen, M., Westerterp, K., & Heymsfield, S. B.
- Affiliations
- Montclair State University (US)
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (PT)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Thomas, D. M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Obesity Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-06-11
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 835-847
- ISSN
- 1467-7881 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-789X
- PMC
- PMC3771367
- OpenAlex
- W1532377123
- Cited by
- 280
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Margaret and Herman Sokol Institute for Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Montclair State University
- National Institutes of Health (NIH-R01, DK072476)
- National Institute on Aging (U01AG020478, U01-AG20478, U01AG022132)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL102166, HL 45670, R01HL045670)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R15DK090739, R01DK081559, R01DK089051, U01DK094418, P30DK072476)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R00HD060762)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Keywords
- exercise-induced weight loss, energy balance, exercise dose, energy intake, resting energy expenditure, body composition, exercise adherence, energy expenditure, obesity
- MeSH terms
- Body Composition, Energy Intake, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Weight Loss, Exercise
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