Walking while wearing a vest that weighs 15% of your body weight increases the amount of energy your body uses by 12% compared to walking without the vest.

From: Stop Walking 10,000 Steps/Day (do this for 20 minutes instead)

Strongly contradicted

Multiple high-quality studies challenge this claim.

0
Pro
42
Against
causal
2 studies

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional.

What this claim means

Walking while wearing a vest that weighs 15% of your body weight increases the amount of energy your body uses by 12% compared to walking without the vest.

See the technical phrasing

Wearing a weighted vest equal to 15% of body weight increases walking energy expenditure by 12%.

Why this might work
Verified
based on 2 studies

Wearing a heavy vest makes the body work harder to move, so muscles use more energy, the heart beats faster to deliver oxygen, and breathing becomes more effortful to get enough air, which burns more calories.

What the research says

Supports

0 studies

0

Contradicts

2 studies

42

Study: Weighted vests in CrossFit increase physiological stress during walking and running without changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters

This study provides evidence contradicting the claim.

Study: Effect of Vest Load Carriage on Cardiometabolic Responses with Load Position, Load Mass, and Walking Conditions for Young Adults

This study provides evidence contradicting the claim.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 2 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.