Over 12 weeks, doing supervised aerobic exercise that burns 500 calories five times per week is linked to a decrease in body fat and an increase in lean body mass in women who are overweight, with an...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
This exercise routine made their bodies burn more fat than they ate back, so they lost weight. At the same time, their muscles didn’t shrink because the workouts kept them active and signaled the body to keep them strong.
Most probable mechanism
When these women exercised regularly, their bodies burned more fat for fuel because they were using up more energy. Even though they ate a little more, their bodies didn’t slow down energy use enough to stop the fat loss. At the same time, their muscles stayed strong or got a bit bigger because the exercise kept them active and signaled the body to hold onto muscle tissue.
Aerobic exercise increases whole-body energy expenditure, creating a sustained energy deficit that favors lipid mobilization from adipose tissue.
Mobilized fatty acids are transported to skeletal muscle and oxidized in mitochondria to meet increased ATP demands during and after exercise.
Despite increased appetite and modestly higher energy intake, total energy expenditure remains elevated, preventing full compensation and sustaining net fat loss.
Mechanical and metabolic stress from repeated aerobic activity maintains or enhances muscle protein synthesis, preserving or increasing fat-free mass.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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