Even If You Don't Lose An Ounce, Exercise

If Your Weight Stays The Same, Take Heart

Tony Cappasso on health for working people and active families
August 16, 2000, 6:32 p.m. EDT

Can't lose weight? Work out anyway, experts at Duke University in North Carolina urge. Even if you don't drop a pound, the workouts will be good for your heart and overall health.

Duke researchers say their study proves that exercise is good for you, even if it doesn't lead to weight loss. They published their findings in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Exercise Physiology. The results of the recently completed pilot study are the first to demonstrate that exercise alone -- independent of weight loss or diet changes – can cut the risks of heart disease, the researchers said.

They worked with seven patients with a body mass index, or BMI, of between 25 (considered overweight) and 35 (considered obese). BMI is a measure of how much body fat a person has in relation to muscle.

Breaking Even

The Duke team put all the patients on a weight-maintenance diet and prescribed workouts for them, then tested their BMI and cholesterol levels periodically during the study. The weight of all patients remained the same during the three-month study. In fact, if patients started losing weight, researchers altered their diets to maintain a constant weight.

In the trial, patients worked out for about one hour four times a week using a combination of treadmill, stationary bicycle, stair exercises and other exercise equipment. As the trial progressed, the intensity of exercises increased.

Specifically, patients experienced an average decline in the so-called "bad cholesterol," or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, from 122 to 104. They saw an average increase in the so-called "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol from 32 to 37.

In addition, patients saw a 4.3 percent decrease in body fat, which researchers say likely turned into muscle.

The research team's conclusion: Overweight people shouldn't get discouraged if regular workouts don't trim pounds. They are improving overall health nonetheless.

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