{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreihf7szftwdmjkrcyaxxruaaiwm4q6nxsnmpz5gjwcsuzgj7so7qq4",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:oznbnvgr7dmvddiyvr7dih52/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpqzwwfj2cv2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreiamyvv7fpog3eviepfqzcbrqtxgtgwmnlunv552cayjebn5um2kji"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 99976
  },
  "path": "/lifestyle/body-fat-loss-muscle-mass-preservation-exercise",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-03T15:24:33.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "GB Mums blast soft justice, NHS maternity and child abuse sentences: 'Not protecting children!'",
    "NHS scheme to reward participants for walking 30 minutes a day in 'marathon a month' challenge",
    "Hair transplant surgeon swears by 'elite' shampoo method for unmatched volume and shine",
    "research pointed to an additional factor in weight management",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nWhile almost every form of exercise supports body fat loss, not all types can also protect the muscle mass that often declines with age, according to new findings.\n\nThe latest study suggests HIIT may be best for preserving lean muscle, challenging the idea that any exercise will do as we age.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nResearchers reached this conclusion after tracking healthy older adults as they took on high, moderate and low-intensity training over six months.\n\nWhile all three approaches led to modest reductions in fat, only high-intensity interval training allowed participants to hold onto their lean muscle, according to an exercise physiologist at UniSC, Dr Grace Rose, who led the study.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nParticipants following the moderate-intensity regimen saw a drop in their fat mass, but they also saw a slight drop in muscle mass alongside it.\n\nMeanwhile, both the moderate and high-intensity groups saw improvements in the distribution of fat around their midsection.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDr Rose explained that the distinction matters cause how body composition shifts over time plays an important role in the onset and progression of chronic disease in later life.\n\n#### Why does HIIT stand apart?\n\nThe HIIT involved in the study involved short, intense bursts of effort - intense enough to make talking difficult - interspersed with recovery periods.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * GB Mums blast soft justice, NHS maternity and child abuse sentences: 'Not protecting children!'\n  * NHS scheme to reward participants for walking 30 minutes a day in 'marathon a month' challenge\n  * Hair transplant surgeon swears by 'elite' shampoo method for unmatched volume and shine\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nStudy co-author and UniSC Associate Professor Mia Schaumberg suggested the stop-start intensity plays a key role here. The added strain on the muscle may send a strong signal to the body to preserve tissue, rather than break it down.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIt comes after separate research pointed to an additional factor in weight management that is frequently overlooked: not how much protein post-menopausal women eat, but where it comes from.\n\nResearch published in the journal Menopause discovered that women who swap meat and dairy protein for plant-based sources, like beans and lentils, lose a significant amount of weight without changing how much they eat.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThose who switched to legumes and whole grains in particular saw a notable improvement in their body weight.\n\nThe findings showed that for roughly every 16 grams of animal protein cut and 13 grams of plant protein added per day, participants lost around one kilogram.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThis could be down to plant proteins being lower in calories but higher in fibre, which supports satiety. But plant protein also has lower methionine, which has been linked to improved fat metabolism.\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Only one type of exercise may help older adults shed body fat without losing muscle"
}