The Effectiveness of Exercise and Consuming a Low Carbohydrate Diet for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of exercise participation during weight loss on a low carbohydrate diet plan during a twelve-week in eighty undergraduate female students. In this quasi-experimental study was a comparison of markers of health such as weight, fat mass, percent body fat, and fat-free mass in forty female students who consistently exercised during the diet from those did not participate in consistent exercise. The subjects was selected due to the transition from high school to college being a critical period because it is associated with lifestyle changes that can lead to weight gain. All subjects were put on a weight loss diet consisting of low carbohydrate nutrition and were required to weight-on the Tanita scale. The data were analyzed using series of independent t-test to determine if significant differences exist between the groups.

This study found exercise participation to aid female students in their diet and weight loss journey, increases the loss of body weight (p<0.001), fat mass (p<0.001), and percent body fat (p<0.001) when compared with who did not consistently exercise during the program. An indicated no significant difference in fat-free mass loss in comparing the means of two groups (p=0.490). Overall the outcomes of the hypotheses in conjunction with the literature review suggest that participation in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities most days of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time, totaling at least 150 minutes per week, along with a low carbohydrates diet plan. Therefore, partaking in a lower carbohydrate nutrition plan is recommended for weight loss.   In order to achieve a greater amount of weight loss combining both exercise participation and low carbohydrate dieting should be recommended.