Ozempic has proven to be very successful in helping those who are clinically obese or suffering with type-2 diabetes to lose unwanted weight, but a new study highlights the importance of picking up a dumbbell while dropping some fat. The findings prove to be an important lesson for those who are suffering on the scales. The study, published by scientists at Copenhagen University Hospitals and released by the Journal of Sport and Health Science aimed to find out how different doses of exercise and diet effected overall fat loss in order to figure out which is better. Diet, exercise, or both?
The team undertook a study of 82 males and females between 18-80 (all of whom suffer type 2 diabetes) and separated them out into three groups of interest:
Dieting alone
Diet with “Moderate” Exercise: 3 sessions per week
Diet with “High” Exercise: 6 sessions per week
Those who undertook 3 sessions of exercise were asked to complete 2 aerobic activities (stationary cycling with increasing intensity) for around 50 mins, and then a final session of aerobic activity for 30 mins combined with resistance training (progressive overload utilizing 3 sets per major muscle group) for 30-45 minutes.
Those who undertook the 6 sessions of exercise were asked to complete 4 aerobic activities for around 50 mins, and then 2 sessions of 30 mins of aerobic activity combined with resistance training for 30-45 minutes. “This analysis aimed to assess the dose-response effects of exercise in combination with a caloric restriction on fat mass,” read the report.
What were the results after 16 weeks?
Diet alone: 3.5% drop in body fat, -2.7% loss of fat free mass
Diet and “Moderate” Exercise: 6.3% drop in body fat, -1.9% loss of fat free mass
Diet and “High” Exercise: 8% drop in body fat, fully preserved fat free mass
Exercise is often neglected by those who take a different approach to weight loss such as those who consume Ozempic, but the data showed that working out is key to maintaining muscle while on a calorie deficit. What the study does not go into, is exactly what level of protein each participant was eating in order to maintain muscle while on a calorie restrictive diet. Still, the results would seem to show a definite trend that exercising not only preserves muscle but speeds up the fat loss process as well. “All (three) interventions were superior in reducing (fat mass) compared to standard care,” concluded the study. “Adding exercise to a caloric restriction was superior in reducing (fat) compared to a caloric restriction alone.”
