Research

Energy balance

Supervised aerobic exercise prescribed by verified energy expenditure (400-600 kcal/session, 5 days/week) without dietary restriction results in clinically significant weight loss (approx. 5%) in overweight/obese adults, with no significant difference between men and women.

To lose weight using exercise alone, you must burn a significant amount of energy (400-600 kcal) per session, 5 days a week, without changing your diet. It is not enough to just 'move more'; the volume must be high and verified. Men and women lose weight equally when the energy expenditure is matched. Expect to spend 40-60 minutes per session on cardio.

StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
Supervised exercise, with equivalent energy expenditure, results in clinically significant weight loss with no significant difference between men and women.
Joseph E. Donnelly et al. · Obesity · 2013

Why this rating

Randomized, controlled, efficacy trial with verified energy expenditure and high compliance monitoring.

Source

Aerobic exercise alone results in clinically significant weight loss for men and women: Midwest exercise trial 2

Joseph E. Donnelly et al. · Obesity · 2013

DOI 10.1002/oby.20145

rct · n=141Cited 214×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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