After spending a week on a mountain, a group of obese men lost some weight, and their capacity for exercise increased upon returning home.

The study, which took place in Germany, involved obese men whose average age was 56 and with risk factors for diabetes and heart disease as a result of their weight. After being subjected to a battery of tests, they were relocated to Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze (elevation 8,700 ft) where they lived for a week. While there, there were no food restrictions, but their exercise was restricted to slow walks around the station. After a week, the average weight loss these men had was 3.5 pounds!  Although they ate less during their stay, researchers believe that the calorie restriction alone did not explain the weight loss.

Moreover, upon returning home, the men burned slightly more calories and had increased their capacity for exercise, making exercise easier for them.

Which makes me wonder – how much altitude range are we talking here? Could I maybe achieve this in an elevation lower than 8,700 ft? (This signifies a probable vacation up in the mountains).

This post is tagged high altitude, weight loss