Research

Mixed

Formerly morbidly obese women exhibit significantly depressed lipid oxidation (increased carbohydrate reliance) during submaximal exercise compared to weight-matched controls, a defect that persists despite weight stability and may predispose individuals to obesity.

If you have lost significant weight after morbid obesity, your body may still burn less fat during exercise than someone who was never obese, even if you are now the same weight. This means you might feel like you are working harder to burn fat during physical activity. To manage weight, you may need to be mindful of this metabolic difference, potentially focusing on consistent physical activity and dietary strategies that account for a lower reliance on fat oxidation during exercise.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
These data suggest that lipid oxidation is depressed during physical activity in WL [weight loss]. This defect may, at least in part, contribute to a propensity for the development of morbid obesity.
Nicole R. Guesbeck et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2001

Why this rating

Small sample size (n=8/group) and specific surgical population (gastric bypass) limit generalizability, though the metabolic measurements are rigorous.

Source

Substrate utilization during exercise in formerly morbidly obese women

Nicole R. Guesbeck et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2001

DOI 10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.1007

cross_sectional · n=16Cited 44×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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