Pump Up the Volume and Get Cut

July 24, 2015 Infinite Labs

High Volume Exercise Gets Women Cut

If you go into the turn on TV at night, there are always info-commercial promising to burn fat and lose weight faster while spending less time in the gym. Is it too good to be true? Can you truly lose weight while spending less time in the gym? Researchers recently examined the effect of moderate vs. high volume aerobic exercise for weight loss in women. The women in the study had body mass index (BMI) of 22 to 40, performed aerobic activity that raised the heart rate 65 percent to 75 percent of heart rate reserve was permitted, and most of the supervised and home-based activities involved the elliptical trainer, walking, bicycling and running. The women trained five days a week of aerobic exercise (3 days per week supervised, 2 days per week unsupervised) for 30 min/session (moderate-volume) or 60 min/session (high volume). Participants were asked not to change usual diet. At the end of study, average reductions in total body fat were larger in the 300-minute vs. 150-minute group (by 1 kg or 1 percent body fat). Subcutaneous abdominal fat, as well as total abdominal fat, BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio also decreased more in the 300-minute group. Mean reductions in total fat were significantly larger in the high- vs. moderate-volume group. Subcutaneous abdominal fat and waist to hip ratio decreased significantly more in the high-volume group.

In sum, previously inactive postmenopausal women, a 1-year prescription of moderate to vigorous exercise for 300 min/week was superior to 150 minutes/week for reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially in obese women. These results suggest additional benefit of higher-volume aerobic exercise for adiposity outcomes and possibly a lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. The other interesting conclusion is that based on pervious studies, obesity is associated with increased risk of breast cancer, the study suggests that weight loss can also reduce the risk of breast cancer as well. The study is not exactly what women want to hear for weight loss but its shows that consistent exercise without changing a person’s diet can enhance fat loss and also lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Make exercise a daily part of your exercise routine!