Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference and Compensatory Responses with Different Doses of Exercise among Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women
2009

Effects of Different Exercise Doses on Weight Loss in Postmenopausal Women

Sample size: 411 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Timothy S. Church, Corby K. Martin, Angela M. Thompson, Conrad P. Earnest, Catherine R. Mikus, Steven N. Blair

Primary Institution: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System

Hypothesis

Does varying doses of exercise lead to different levels of weight loss and compensatory responses in sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women?

Conclusion

Higher doses of exercise resulted in less weight loss than predicted, while moderate doses closely matched predicted weight loss.

Supporting Evidence

  • Participants in the 4 and 8 KKW groups lost weight as expected, while the 12 KKW group lost less than predicted.
  • All exercise groups showed significant reductions in waist circumference.
  • Adherence to the exercise program was over 99% across all groups.

Takeaway

When women who don't usually exercise start working out, those who do a lot of exercise might not lose as much weight as expected, but even a little exercise can help them lose weight.

Methodology

Participants were randomized into a control group or one of three exercise groups with different energy expenditures over six months.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in self-reported dietary intake and the specific demographic of participants may limit generalizability.

Limitations

The study was limited to sedentary, overweight or obese, postmenopausal women, which may not apply to other populations.

Participant Demographics

Mean age 57.2 years, BMI 31.7 kg/m2, 63.5% Caucasian.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 1.9, 5.4 for fitness change

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004515

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