Research

Energy balance

Combined diet and exercise interventions are superior to either intervention alone for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (peak VO2) and reducing body weight in overweight/obese breast cancer survivors.

If you are overweight or obese, combining a healthy diet with regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise is more effective for improving heart health and fitness than doing either alone. Aim for a caloric deficit alongside at least 150 minutes of weekly exercise to maximize weight loss and cardiorespiratory fitness gains.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Peak VO2 improved more in the diet and exercise group than in the diet or exercise alone groups (increases of 17% vs. 10% vs. 8%, respectively; p < .001), whereas body weight decreased by 10% in the diet alone group and by 9% in the diet-exercise group, but did not decrease in the exercise group or the control group (p < .001).
Mark J. Haykowsky et al. · American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book · 2017

Why this rating

Based on specific randomized controlled trials (e.g., 107 obese adults, 439 postmenopausal women) showing statistically significant synergistic effects.

Source

Lifestyle Interventions to Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Reduce Breast Cancer Recurrence

Mark J. Haykowsky et al. · American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book · 2017

DOI 10.1200/edbk_175349

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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