Mixed
An 8-week low-carbohydrate diet combined with prescribed aerobic and resistance exercise significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and reduces fat mass index more effectively than exercise with standard dietary advice in obese individuals.
If you are obese, combining a low-carb diet (under 50g carbs/day) with a structured exercise program (mix of cardio and weights, 4x/week) for 8 weeks will likely improve your heart health and reduce body fat more than just exercising with standard dietary advice. Be aware that you might lose some muscle mass, but the exercise helps mitigate this.
Participants in the EX-LC condition demonstrated greater improvements in VO2peak (p = 0.002) and fat mass index (FMI, p = 0.001) compared to the EX-CO condition.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a reasonable sample size (n=64), though limited by lack of blinding and short duration.
Source
The Effect of an 8 Week Prescribed Exercise and Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Obese Individuals: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Maria Perissiou et al. · Nutrients · 2020
DOI 10.3390/nu12020482
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