Joseph
DAYS
HOURS
MINUTES
SECONDS
Evidence Based
Exercise can often feel like a bootless slog.
When most people want to start losing weight, they start doing cardiovascular exercise, and although they may wind up wearing out their running shoes and giving their spin bikes countless sweat showers, they rarely see meaningful changes in the mirror or on the scale.
Researchers have long noted the same thing in studies.
When people exercise for a few weeks or months—even vigorous exercise like high-intensity interval training—they lose less weight than you’d expect, and sometimes none.
A study published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that people who followed a cardio program (either moderate- or high-intensity) only lost about 2 pounds of fat after 12 weeks on average. That’s 0.2 pounds per week, an amount so small it’s hard to even measure.
Even more eye-opening are the results of a review study published by Queen’s University. After analyzing thirty-one studies, they found that weight loss outcomes got worse as the duration of exercise increased—people who followed an exercise plan for several months lost just 7 pounds on average, and people who followed an exercise plan for six months or more lost almost nothing.
As a result, many journalists, doctors, and fitness authorities have declared that exercising for weight loss is like trying to bail out a boat with a sieve—a fruitless endeavor.
Or at least the ordinary way of exercising is futile, some say, but if you give them $49.99 in 78 easy hourly installments, they’ll give you access to their proprietary patent perpetually pending breakthrough training techniques guaranteed to melt belly fat faster than a roided hornet—ahem . . . I digress.
All of this anti-exercise rhetoric has a soft underbelly, however, because none of the research used to support it controlled people’s calorie intake properly.
And what do you think happens when you put a bunch of overweight people on an exercise program without addressing anything related to nutrition and lifestyle? They burn more calories—whoop whoop—but then get hungrier and eat more—womp womp.
This “compensatory eating response” associated with exercise is cause for constant hand-wringing (“You just eat more after you work out! Oh the humanity!”), but it’s merely a natural, healthy, and necessary response to increased energy expenditure. After all, if we didn’t get hungrier after strenuous exercise, humans would’ve starved to death long ago.
The truth, however, is that while this reaction to exercise isn’t under our control (appetite will increase), how we act on it is.
Moreover, if you follow a high-protein, plant-based diet, you’ll significantly dampen the unwanted appetitive effects of frequent exercise.
So, while exercise alone doesn’t guarantee anything in the way of weight loss, what happens when you do a few hours of the right kind of exercise per week and eat properly? You lose fat, you lose it quickly, and you enjoy the process.
And what’s the right kind of exercise for weight loss, pray tell? Strength training, which you can learn all about in this article:
The 12 Best Science-Based Strength Training Programs for Gaining Muscle and Strength
+ Scientific References
- R, R., & I, J. (2001). Physical activity, total and regional obesity: dose-response considerations. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(6 Suppl). https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200106001-00023
- SE, K., NA, J., GI, M., & JS, C. (2017). A systematic review and meta-analysis of interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training on body adiposity. Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 18(8), 943–964. https://doi.org/10.1111/OBR.12536
If you enjoyed this article, get weekly updates. It’s free.
Sending…
Great! You’re subscribed.
100% Privacy. We don’t rent or share our email lists.
You May Also Like
Our Most Popular Evidence-Based Articles
Our “It’s On Us” 100% Money-Back Guarantee
No matter what you decide to buy, you’re always protected by our ironclad, 100% money-back guarantee that works like this:
If you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, you get a prompt and courteous refund. No forms to fill out or hoops to jump through.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits so our shipping is 100% free!
Okay, we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters.
So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, and if you live anywhere else, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money.
That said, as most international customers spend about $200 with us each time they shop, this setup is a win-win.
And no matter what you decide to buy, you’re always protected by our ironclad, 100% money-back guarantee that works like this:
If you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, you get a prompt and courteous refund. No forms to fill out or hoops to jump through.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Clinically Effective Doses
Great ingredients aren’t enough to make a great product—you also need correct doses.
That’s why we use the exact doses of every ingredient that have safely produced the desired benefits in peer-reviewed studies.
Made in USA
Where your supplements are made matters, because rules and regulations regarding quality and purity differ from country to country.
And if you want to ensure the supplements you’re swallowing every day are safe and effective, you want products produced in the USA.
That’s why all of our supplements are made in America in NSF-certified and FDA-inspected facilities that operate in accordance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations.
We pay a premium to work with the best manufacturers in the country, but it’s the only way we can also produce the best all-natural sports supplements.
Lab Tested
Did you know that studies have shown that many supplements contain dangerously high levels of toxins like lead, arsenic, and cadmium?
Not ours.
Every ingredient of every supplement we produce is tested for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants to ensure they meet the strict purity standards set by the FDA.
Naturally Sweetened & Flavored
While artificial sweeteners may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of these chemicals may indeed be harmful to our health and that more research is needed.
That’s why all of our supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and contain no artificial food dyes, fillers, or other unnecessary junk.
Science-Backed Ingredients & Doses
Unlike some supplement companies, we don’t sell dubious white labeled or off-the-shelf formulations.
Instead, our custom and unique formulations are the result of extensive reviews of the scientific literature to discover the most effective ingredients for each.
Split your entire online purchase into 4 interest-free payments, over 6 weeks with no impact to your credit.
25%
today
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Shop and add items to your cart as normal!
Choose Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Sign Up or Log In
to complete your order.
Your order will be shipped out right away* and your payments will be split up
over 6 weeks.
*shipping times subject to merchant shipping policy
Shop directory. Reschedule payments. Plus more!
Waiver and Release of Liability
In consideration of the services and/or products offered by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) including, but not limited to, nutrition plans, exercise routines and coaching, and in addition to the payment of any fee or charge:
I knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and release of liability and hereby waive any and all rights, claims or causes of action of any kind whatsoever arising out of my use of Legion’s services and/or products, and I hereby release and hold harmless Legion and its consultants, officers, contractors, agents, owners and employees from any and all responsibility, liability, cost and expenses, including for injuries, damages or disorders (physical, metabolic, or otherwise), resulting from my use of Legion’s services and/or products.
I understand that fitness activities including, but not limited to, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise, with or without the use of equipment, are potentially hazardous activities that involve a risk of injury and even death, and I am voluntarily participating in these activities and using equipment and machinery with knowledge of the risks involved. I hereby agree to assume and accept any and all risks of injury or death related to said fitness activities.
I understand Legion’s services and products are not meant to treat or manage any health conditions or circumstances, and I acknowledge that Legion has recommended I obtain a healthcare provider’s approval for my use of Legion’s services and/or products, through regular physical examination(s) and/or consultation. I acknowledge that I have obtained my healthcare provider’s approval or have decided to use Legion’s services and/or products without such approval and hereby assume all responsibility for my use of said services and/or products.
I understand that results from using Legion’s products and/or services are not guaranteed, and I agree to not hold Legion liable for any outcomes or lack thereof.
OUT OF STOCK
Security Check
Please click the checkbox below. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Fact Checked
Our scientific review board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, doctors, and other accredited experts is responsible for reviewing every article, podcast, and video we produce to ensure they’re evidence based, accurate, trustworthy, and current.
Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Evidence Based
We follow a detailed, rigorous, multi-step process to create content that meets the highest standards of clarity, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our research associates provide our editorial team with accurate, up-to-date, proven scientific evidence.
Then, our editorial team uses this research to draft articles and outlines for podcasts and videos.
Finally, our scientific review board reviews the content to ensure all key information and claims are backed by high-quality scientific research and explained simply and precisely.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
