The Study
The effects of a home-based resistance training programme on body composition and muscle function during weight loss in people living with overweight or obesity: a randomised controlled pilot trial
This study gave some people a home workout plan while they were dieting, and others just dieted. Then they checked who got stronger. The people who worked out did get stronger, so we can say the workout probably helped with strength. But it didn’t change how much muscle they had, and we can’t be totally sure because not everyone did the workout perfectly.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When people lose weight by eating less, they often lose muscle too. This study tested if doing simple home workouts with resistance bands while dieting helps keep muscles strong—even if muscle size doesn’t change.
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 575 / 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.
- 1Yes—these strength gains mean better ability to stand up, carry groceries, or avoid falls, even if the scale doesn’t show muscle gain.
- 2People who did home resistance training got 2.65 kg stronger in grip, 23.61 Nm stronger in knee push, and did 5.9 more sit-to-stand reps in 30 seconds—without gaining muscle mass.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition & Metabolism
Year
2025
Authors
A. Binmahfoz, L. Johnston, Emma Dunning, C.M Gray, Stuart R. Gray
Related Content
Claims (10)
Bioelectrical impedance analysis does not detect changes in fat-free mass during resistance training in adults with overweight or obesity, even when strength improves significantly.
People who do resistance training while eating fewer calories gain more muscular strength than people who eat fewer calories without resistance training.
Adults with overweight or obesity who follow a diet and do 12 weeks of home-based resistance training gain measurable increases in grip strength, knee muscle force, and ability to stand up from a chair quickly, compared to those who only diet.
In adults with overweight or obesity who are losing weight through diet, doing resistance training at home does not prevent loss of fat-free mass or muscle thickness, even though muscle function improves.
In adults with overweight or obesity who lose weight while doing resistance training, increases in muscle strength occur due to improved nervous system control of muscles, even when muscle size does not change.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis cannot reliably measure small changes in muscle mass during weight loss, even when muscle strength improves.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.