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If you’ve ever calculated the calories you burn during your workouts and wondered why they don’t add up to lose more pounds, well, it turns out there’s a scientific reason for that – and no. , it’s not just that you might eat a little more after a tough workout. According to a new study in Current biology, our body “compensates” for the calories we burn during workouts by spending less calories throughout the day. This adds up to a net calorie expenditure that is less than what you think you are getting – by a surprisingly large amount.
The study analyzed data from 1,754 adults who told them two key metrics: how many calories each person burned just while alive (their “basal” expenditure, also known as basal metabolic rate); and how many overall calories they burned in a day, which would include any exercise or activity they had done. Subtracting basic expenditure from overall expenditure told scientists how many calories a person burned exercising and any other type of movement (standing, walking, moving) in a day. They then compared that number to how many calories that person would be expected to burn, derived from statistical models. (The study only focused on calories burned, not how many calories participants ate with food.)
The results showed that, on average, only 72 percent of the calories we burn through exercise actually translate into the extra calories burned that day. This means that your body “compensates” for about 28% of the calories you burn during a workout by burning fewer calories the rest of the day, when you are at rest. (The researchers weren’t sure exactly what your body does to “save” those calories, but they speculated that it might reduce other calorie-burning processes like your immune system.)
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So let’s say you burn 100 calories in a workout. You can’t just say you’ve now burned 100 more calories in the day, because your body will now burn fewer calories elsewhere. Instead, the average person will burn almost 72 extra calories – still an extra expense, but less than expected. And while previous research has shown that exercise results in lower calorie expenditure than expected, this study is the first to quantify it so precisely.
One final frustrating news came from the study. It turns out that this calorie-compensating effect is even stronger in people who have relatively high levels of body fat. The study found that their bodies compensated for 50 percent or more of the calories they burned during exercise and activity.
If you’re trying to lose weight, this might all sound a bit daunting to hear, but it’s important to remember that the study focused on additional calories burned. When your body is active, you still burn more calories than when you are completely at rest, even if it is a little less than expected. This highlights the importance of sticking to your workout routine while being mindful of what you eat to make sure your weight loss strategies remain as effective – and effective – as possible.
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