Energy balance

Increasing energy expenditure through physical exercise programs leads to only a modest reduction in body fat content (1-2%) in healthy adults, requiring substantial time commitment (e.g., 1.5 hours of cycling daily) to achieve significant changes.

Do not rely on exercise alone to lose significant body fat. The studies show that exercising 125-155 minutes per week for 12 weeks results in only a 1-2% drop in body fat. To achieve meaningful fat loss, you likely need to combine exercise with dietary changes, as the energy expenditure from exercise alone is modest relative to the effort required.