The Study
Interindividual variability in metabolic adaptation of non-exercise activity thermogenesis after a 1-year weight loss intervention in former elite athletes
This study tried to see if people burn less energy on their own after losing weight, but it only looked at a group of former athletes. It found no clear pattern on average, but some people changed a lot and others didn’t — so we can’t say for sure what happens to everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists studied former athletes who lost weight over a year to see if they naturally moved less (like fidgeting or walking less) as their body tried to save energy.
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 549 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The big variation means the changes in movement probably aren't due to biology — they might just be random errors in measuring tiny movements.
- 2On average, people didn't move less after losing weight.
- 3But some moved more, some moved less — the changes varied a lot (by 24 kcal/day), more than what's considered a real change (87 kcal/day).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Sport Science
Year
2022
Authors
Catarina L. Nunes, Gil B. Rosa, Filipe Jesus, S. Heymsfield, C. Minderico, Paulo Martins, L. Sardinha, A. Silva
Related Content
Claims (7)
When a person consistently eats fewer calories than needed, their metabolic rate decreases, leptin levels drop, hunger hormones rise, and spontaneous physical movement declines.
Among former elite athletes who were overweight or obese, a 12-month weight loss program did not change their daily spontaneous movement levels on average, meaning reduced movement as a metabolic response to weight loss does not consistently occur in this group.
After losing weight, former elite athletes show large differences in how much they move spontaneously, and these differences are larger than what would be considered meaningful, suggesting the changes observed are likely due to measurement inconsistency or natural fluctuations rather than true biological change.
After losing weight, former elite athletes who change how much they move spontaneously do not show corresponding changes in their body fat or muscle mass.
After losing weight, former elite athletes show large differences in how much they move spontaneously, with variability in daily energy expenditure of 24 kcal/day at 12 months, which is smaller than the threshold for meaningful change (87 kcal/day), indicating that observed fluctuations are more likely due to measurement inconsistency than true biological change.
After losing weight over one year, former elite athletes did not show a consistent decrease in daily spontaneous movement, meaning their bodies did not reliably burn fewer calories through unconscious activity as a result of the weight loss.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.