Research
Hormonal
The cardiometabolic benefits of exercise, particularly on glucose regulation and inflammation, may be attenuated or dependent on weight loss in individuals with obesity.
Be aware that while exercise is beneficial, achieving weight loss may be necessary to fully improve glucose regulation and inflammation in obesity. However, do not stop exercising if weight loss is difficult; other benefits remain.
ModerateConditionalMEDIUM confidence
Taken collectively, these findings suggest that the beneficial effects of exercise on glucose regulation may be impacted by the presence of obesity... the effects of exercise on glucose regulation in individuals with obesity may be partially dependent on whether this also results in weight loss.
Why this rating
Based on specific studies cited, but the paper acknowledges mixed results and the need for further research.
Source
Physical activity and exercise within the context of obesity treatment: Enhancing health beyond weight loss
John M. Jakicic et al. · Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science · 2025
DOI 10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101097
narrative_reviewCited 4×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Physical activity and exercise provide significant health benefits for adults with overweight or obesity independent of weight loss, including improvements in body composition quality, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic health.Good
- Resistance training preserves or increases lean muscle mass and improves muscle quality in adults with obesity, even when combined with energy-restricted diets or obesity management medications that typically cause lean mass loss.Good
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