In postmenopausal women, higher overall physical activity levels are linked to less reduction in calorie burning from non-exercise activities after exercise, but current measurements are not...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When these women work out, their bodies sometimes move less the rest of the day — like sitting more or taking fewer steps — which cancels out some of the calories burned. We see this pattern in the data, but we don’t yet know exactly why their movement drops after exercise.
Most probable mechanism
When postmenopausal women exercise more, their bodies sometimes move less during the rest of the day — like taking fewer steps or sitting more — which cancels out some of the extra calories burned during the workout.
Increased exercise energy expenditure triggers a compensatory reduction in spontaneous non-exercise physical activity, such as fidgeting, standing, or walking during daily tasks.
This reduction in non-exercise activity lowers total daily energy expenditure, partially or fully offsetting the energy cost of the exercise session.
Objective measurement of total physical activity reveals an inverse relationship between overall movement and the degree of energy compensation, implying that lower non-exercise movement correlates with greater compensation.
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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