Does Exercise Use Up Fewer Calories Than We Think?

In this follow-up study of a clinical trial, researchers found that an exercise program helped some participants burn more calories and use more energy each day. However, this benefit was only seen in roughly half of the participants.

Subject of the Study

Exercise-related energy compensation happens when the calories burned during exercise aren’t as high as we might expect. In other words, even though we work out, our overall daily energy use doesn’t increase as much as we thought it would based on the exercise alone.

The study involved 29 people, with an average age of 48 years. Among them, there were 20 women and 9 men, all of whom were classified as overweight or obese.

How the Study was Conducted?

In this study, researchers looked at data from a 24-week trial where participants were divided into two groups based on how much energy they were trying to burn through exercise. One group aimed to burn 8 calories for every kilogram of their body weight each week (called 8KKW), while the other aimed to burn 20 calories per kilogram each week (called 20KKW). The exercise sessions were closely monitored and included activities on a treadmill or stationary bike.