Pumping iron helps women win battle of the bulge

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Pumping iron helps women win battle of the bulge

NEW YORK, Jun 08 (Reuters Health) - Women gearing up to wage war on fat may

want to arm themselves with a set of weights in addition to a pair of

running shoes, a new study suggests.

According to the researchers, resistance training burns calories for at

least one hour after a workout. Aerobic exercise such as jogging burns more

calories during the workout but boosts metabolism for less than one hour

afterward.

" To get the maximum benefit, women need a combination of cardiovascular

workouts and resistance training, " Carol A. Binzen, an exercise physiologist

at s Hopkins University in Baltimore, land, said in a prepared

statement.

The study included 12 women aged 24 to 34 years who regularly lifted weights

but were " not super fitness enthusiasts, " Binzen explained. On one day, the

women performed a 45-minute session of weight training that targeted major

muscle groups including the chest, shoulders, legs, upper back, biceps and

triceps. On another day, the women did not do any resistance training and

watched a movie.

Comparisons of the number of calories women burned revealed that, on

average, women burned 155 calories up to 2 hours after weight training and

50 calories while watching a movie. The findings are published in the June

issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

" The results from this study suggest that an acute bout of a typical

resistance exercise session also facilitates a small increase in fat

[burning] in moderately trained, young women, " the authors conclude.

Binzen and colleagues suggest that the effects may be even more pronounced

in previously sedentary women who take up resistance training, but stress

that all women should check with their doctor before beginning an exercise

program.

Besides boosting metabolism, resistance training can increase bone density

and muscle mass, thereby protecting against the bone-thinning disease

osteoporosis.

SOURCE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2001;33:932-938.