EXERCISE ENHANCES DIETARY COMPLIANCE DURING MODERATE ENERGY RESTRICTION IN OBESE WOMEN

The effect of aerobic exercise on dietary compliance was assessed in 1 3 obese women (44 +/- 3% fat) during a 12-wk weight-reduction program (EX group). Seventeen obese women (45 +/- 5% fat) not engaged in aerob ic exercise (NX group) served as control subjects. The reducing diets were designed to promote a weight loss of 1 kg/wk, with energy intakes individually prescribed (($) over bar x +/- SD: 4.9 +/- 0.6 MJ/d) to approximate 75% of each subject's measured basal metabolic rate. The E X group completed of three 45-min sessions/wk of supervised aerobic ex ercise at 65% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max). Daily energy i ntakes were calculated by summing changes in body stores, measured by total body water isotope dilution, and total daily energy expenditure, measured by doubly labeled water (DLW). Dietary compliance was assess ed by comparing calculated intakes with prescribed intakes. Both the E X and NX groups reported consuming close to their prescribed daily int akes, with differences of - 0.08 +/- 0.28 (EX group) and + 0.03 +/- 0. 57 (NX group) MJ/d, respectively. However, expenditure/balance data de termined by the DLW method indicated that the EX subjects exhibited be tter dietary compliance than the NX subjects, with intakes exceeding t hose prescribed by only 0.7 +/- 1.5 compared with 2.3 +/- 1.6 MJ/d for the NX subjects (P = 0.01). Therefore, an additional benefit of aerob ic exercise during energy restriction is enhanced dietary compliance, which has important implications for the treatment of moderate obesity .