Before the start of the 13-week training program, all men underwent a baseline study to measure their overall health and fitness: all were overweight, but not obese, and were metabolically healthy.
During the 13 weeks, the men were instructed not to make targeted changes to their eating habits, they also kept food diaries, the researchers checked later, and on certain days they wore to track motion sensors, how much activity they were in outside participation their exercise routines.
At the end of the 13 weeks, the results were both expected and unexpected, the researchers reported.
Not surprisingly, the sedentary group saw no change in their weight. The men in the high intensity exercise group lost an average of 5 pounds, but during weight loss was expected, the researchers said these men lost about 20% less than they had expected, given how many extra calories they burned.
Even more surprising results from the moderate exercise group were: those men lost an average of 7 per pound, 83% more than what the researchers would have guessed based on calorie consumption alone.