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Health

Why vigorous exercise could inadvertently lead to weight gain

Intense exercise may make the body compensate for energy used during this vigorous activity by reducing other forms of energy use, leading to weight gain, according to a study in mice

By Michael Le Page

1 April 2024

Mice gain weight after exercising vigorously

Mary Swift/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Mice that exercise vigorously put on weight in the next 24 hours, whereas those that exert themselves moderately or not at all don’t, despite both groups eating the same amount of food, a study has found. This adds to the growing evidence that animals, including us, compensate for extra energy used during exercise by cutting energy expenditure in other ways.

“The real-world experiences of many individuals feeling too exhausted to move after strenuous exercise lend credence to our study’s findings being replicable in humans,” says …

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