The Study
Increased physical activity may be more protective for metabolic syndrome than reduced caloric intake. An analysis of estimated energy balance in U.S. adults: 2007-2010 NHANES.
This study looked at a bunch of people and noticed that those without metabolic syndrome tended to move more and eat more calories than those with it. But it didn't watch them over time or change anything—it just took a snapshot. So we can't say moving more causes less metabolic syndrome, only that they're linked.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
People without metabolic syndrome moved more and ate more calories relative to their body's basic needs, but still burned the same total amount of energy as those with metabolic syndrome.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 540 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This suggests that just cutting calories may not help as much as moving more — your body’s energy use and activity level might matter more than how much you eat.
- 2People without metabolic syndrome got 36 to 45 more minutes of moderate activity per day and ate more calories per unit of basal metabolic rate, but their total calories burned matched those with metabolic syndrome.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD
Year
2015
Authors
A. Frugé, S. Byrd, B. Fountain, J. S. Cossman, M. Schilling, P. Gérard
Related Content
Claims (5)
Higher energy expenditure from physical activity increases metabolic rate and improves the efficiency of achieving a caloric deficit.
Adults without metabolic syndrome report 36 to 45 more minutes of moderate physical activity each day than adults with metabolic syndrome, based on activity tracked across work, leisure, and transportation in a U.S. national survey from 2007 to 2010.
Adults with metabolic syndrome consume and burn the same total amount of energy as adults without metabolic syndrome, even though their activity levels and calorie intake relative to their basic metabolic needs differ.
People without metabolic syndrome eat more calories relative to how much energy their bodies need and use, compared to people with metabolic syndrome, even though both groups consume the same amount of energy relative to what they burn.
In U.S. adults, people who are more physically active and consume more calories relative to their basal metabolic rate are more likely to not have metabolic syndrome, even when their total calorie intake is similar to others.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.