To know how many calories you burn during a weightlifting session, you have to measure your breathing for at least 90 minutes after you finish—most of the burn happens after you’re done lifting.
Scientific Claim
In healthy, resistance-trained men, the metabolic cost of resistance exercise is best estimated by measuring oxygen uptake during both the exercise sets and the 90-minute postexercise recovery period, as the majority of energy expenditure occurs after the workout ends.
Original Statement
“The EE was estimated from VO2net (total VO2 - rest VO2)... The EPOC assessment period should also be standardized to allow the comparison across studies... the O2 was measured during 90 minutes after the exercise and the end of the EPOC was defined as the moment in which the O2 returned to the RMR values.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The study’s direct measurement of VO2 over 90 minutes and its use of VO2net to calculate EE provide strong empirical support for the claim, making definitive language appropriate.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The effect of Between-Set Rest Intervals on the Oxygen Uptake During and After Resistance Exercise Sessions Performed with Large- and Small-Muscle Mass
The study found that after lifting heavy weights with big muscle groups like legs, your body keeps burning calories for up to 40 minutes afterward—more than during the actual workout. This means most of the energy burned happens after you’re done exercising.