Eric Ravussin, Ph.D.

I think, first of all, if you try to put calories on your exercise, it's easy on a bicycle. You know the efficiency, 25%. You know the workload and so on. And you can calculate, or you can use your mask and measure oxygen consumption. It's very easy like that. And I think that there is a compensation. Now, exercise, very vigorous exercise is anorexic.

I think, first of all, if you try to put calories on your exercise, it's easy on a bicycle. You know the efficiency, 25%. You know the workload and so on. And you can calculate, or you can use your mask and measure oxygen consumption. It's very easy like that. And I think that there is a compensation. Now, exercise, very vigorous exercise is anorexic.

You don't want to eat after you finish a marathon, or at least I don't.

You don't want to eat after you finish a marathon, or at least I don't.

But light exercise has the opposite effect. I think it drives a little bit appetite. And I think Tim Church, who was at Pennington, did a study called E-Mechanic. And basically, they measured every calorie spent. on exercise, on a treadmill, on a bicycle, an ergometer, and all that, and look at the weight of the people with these different doses of exercise, and there was a compensation.

But light exercise has the opposite effect. I think it drives a little bit appetite. And I think Tim Church, who was at Pennington, did a study called E-Mechanic. And basically, they measured every calorie spent. on exercise, on a treadmill, on a bicycle, an ergometer, and all that, and look at the weight of the people with these different doses of exercise, and there was a compensation.

Now, what it didn't measure was to use doubly-labeled water. Did they compensate by being less active out of their periods of exercise? You have 90 minutes of exercise, but then, you know, you relax a little bit more rather than fidgeting or moving and so on, or you sleep a little bit longer. This he didn't measure, but there was this compensation with food intake.

Now, what it didn't measure was to use doubly-labeled water. Did they compensate by being less active out of their periods of exercise? You have 90 minutes of exercise, but then, you know, you relax a little bit more rather than fidgeting or moving and so on, or you sleep a little bit longer. This he didn't measure, but there was this compensation with food intake.

And I think, first of all, I didn't say that exercise is not good for health.

And I think, first of all, I didn't say that exercise is not good for health.

when you run a K or a mile and so on, versus how quickly you can ingest the calories, the same amount or much more. And I think that there is a difference here that people understand. But exercise and physical activity is the key for weight loss maintenance. And you know the weight registry from Rena Wing and Jim Hill,

when you run a K or a mile and so on, versus how quickly you can ingest the calories, the same amount or much more. And I think that there is a difference here that people understand. But exercise and physical activity is the key for weight loss maintenance. And you know the weight registry from Rena Wing and Jim Hill,

they showed that those who were successful at maintaining the weight loss at five years after the intervention were those who engaged in more physical activity. And I still believe that a nutritional approach to weight loss without physical activity or exercise prescribed is not a good strategy. We should implement both and try to have people enjoying the exercise.

they showed that those who were successful at maintaining the weight loss at five years after the intervention were those who engaged in more physical activity. And I still believe that a nutritional approach to weight loss without physical activity or exercise prescribed is not a good strategy. We should implement both and try to have people enjoying the exercise.

Most people, I remember one of my colleagues, Richard Bergman, said, I would never exercise. I'd rather be sitting in a cold bathtub to generate some heat rather than exercise. And there are some people who cannot exercise. But I think, again, this is from childhood, that you take the taste of exercise, that you become more physically active in the rest of your life.

Most people, I remember one of my colleagues, Richard Bergman, said, I would never exercise. I'd rather be sitting in a cold bathtub to generate some heat rather than exercise. And there are some people who cannot exercise. But I think, again, this is from childhood, that you take the taste of exercise, that you become more physically active in the rest of your life.

It's not at the age of 40 because you have too much weight that they're going to tell you, oh, you have to do your 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity and all that. It doesn't work in general, but I think physical activity is a key point in metabolic health in general.

It's not at the age of 40 because you have too much weight that they're going to tell you, oh, you have to do your 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity and all that. It doesn't work in general, but I think physical activity is a key point in metabolic health in general.

Above your resting?

Above your resting?