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health & fitness

Weighted Vests: What’s the Research?

by Paula Allia, PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS

n recent years, wearing a weighted Wearing the weighted vest has not been studied thoroughly. There
vest to exercise has been the new buzz. has been some research demonstrating increased caloric expenditure
I Seeing the vests donned while walking which can possibly lead to weight loss with increased physical activity.
or running has been a common finding. There Because a person is being active with exercising, insulin resistance may
are claims stating that these vests will help the lower and oxygen consumption and heart rate may increase, attempting
menopausal women with muscle and bone to improve the efficiency of the heart over time.
strength. Is this information documented to There is some discussion amongst researchers that the weighted
be true? vest alone does not increase muscle strength or bone health. Bone
It is a known fact that when women enter menopause, attempts to remodeling occurs during, as the bone breaks down to build up
retain and build muscle and bone strength is an arduous task at best. stronger. Overall, the studies done do not support the claim that the
It is known that as people age later in life they lose weight. Many weighted vest alone can stimulate bone activity and increase muscle
times the weight loss may be not about fat loss but more about muscle growth.
loss and a decrease in bone density. These results can affect one’s Balance may be affected by the weighted vest. Some studies show
longevity. balance improvements. However, bending forward or back with the
After menopause it is common for some to experience weight vest on will require the body to adapt quickly due to altered weight
gain. This is concerning because it certainly does not seem to be the distribution. Thus, there seems to be pros and cons for the vest in
addition of muscle or bone density. Thus, losing weight is a goal for regards to balance.
many while maintaining muscle strength and bone density needs to When compared to strength training with weights it is apparent
be a priority. Interestingly, when one loses weight, there is less weight that building bone and muscle health responds better than to just
applied to the bones and muscles. Loading bone and plyometrics wearing a weighted vest. It also must be considered that if one is trying
have been known to stimulate bone activity with the hopes of building to add weight in the weighted vest that initially using up to 5% of body
density and strength within the bones. The bones break down to then weight maximum should be used. One must be smart if attempting
build back up better and stronger with the right stimulus. This has to join in on this new piece of equipment. Adding more is NOT
provided a big opportunity for the implementation of the weighted better. If you decide to engage, adding weight slowly is key so that any
vest in attempts of trying to replace the lost weight and/or to build adaptations can occur safely in a regimented way. This is not “more the
bone strength. Keep in mind that looking at the fat content of the better” protocol.
body is important. It cannot be assumed that losing or gaining weight Studies are underway to see if adding proper nutrition and protein
is from fat loss. It must be considered that muscle and bone loss may plus calcium may help with bone and muscle health. Movement and
be contributing to weight loss. activity of any kind is certainly better than having no participation at
all but performing resistive exercises appears to be the best activity for
longevity.

To Your Health!
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