Exercise and CR (and dieting for that matter)

This book sounds interesting. Several years ago, I had checked into the literature on cholesterol, so I know his comments on cholesterol are quite legitimate. The whole cholesterol thing got kicked off by the Seven Countries Study - they picked seven countries that had strong correlation of cholesterol levels to heart disease. A skeptic made a pretty good case that if you picked a different set of countries, then you might get the opposite result.

So, I was particularly struck by this passage in the review:

He also reveals how charismatic personalities can force the acceptance of
unproven theories. For instance, nutritionist Jean Mayer persuaded Americans
that exercise leads to weight loss when in fact, writes Taubes, exercising may
increase hunger and calorie intake. According to a 2000 review of the medical
literature, "some studies imply that physical activity might inhibit weight gain
. . . some that it might accelerate weight gain; and some that it has no effect
whatsoever." Yet the latest government dietary guidelines, released in 2005,
recommend 60 to 90 minutes a day of moderately intense exercise and a
low-calorie diet to achieve weight loss. Once again, Taubes shows, conventional
wisdom wins out.

I was just thinking today about April's difficulty in keeping to strong CR lately - and all her exercise. For me, exercise messes up CR. I just cannot exercise much and keep appetite control. I have always found it easier to lose weight when I exercise small amounts consistently, rather than large amounts. My four mile hikes up and down the canyon lately are not really helpful to CR - even though they make me very happy. My theory is that if I hike two or three miles virtually every day, I will get used to the energy expenditure and be able to adjust to it. But, I would actually suggest that someone who exercises a lot - especially aerobic exercise - and is having trouble with CR, try cutting back the exercise a lot and see if you can stick to the regimen more easily. Dr. Luigi Fontana, the cardiologist at Washington University who studies us CR people, will tell you that we look better, cardiovascularly, than the people who run 50 miles a week. Even relative couch potatoes like me. I like hiking and gardening a lot, but I do them at a pretty leisurely pace. Weight training and yoga don't burn much in the way of calories, so they don't seem to effect CR practice much. And remember, the mice that exercised and did CR lived no longer than the mice that did CR alone. You need to think about why you are doing calorie burning exercise when you are doing CR.