In postmenopausal women, many do not lose as much weight as expected from exercise because their bodies adjust energy use in ways that offset calorie burn, and a significant portion even gain weight...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When these women exercise more, their bodies naturally make them hungrier and burn fewer calories when they’re not moving, which cancels out the calorie burn from exercise. That’s why they don’t lose as much weight as you’d expect.
Most probable mechanism
When women exercise more, their bodies respond by making them feel hungrier so they eat more, and also slow down how many calories they burn when not active. This means the extra calories burned from exercise get canceled out by eating more or burning less at rest, so they don’t lose as much weight as expected.
Increased physical activity stimulates hormonal signals that elevate hunger drive and food intake
Resting metabolic rate decreases in response to increased energy expenditure from exercise
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Dose–response effects of aerobic exercise on energy compensation in postmenopausal women: combined results from two randomized controlled trials
Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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