One of my favorite studies, an oft-replicated and cited study, tracks several hundred people who claimed to be "diet resistant". Using a technique invloving "doubly-lableled water" they were able to determine that every single person in the study who claimed to be diet resistant was overreporting their exercise and underreporting their calorie intake:
Of course, this was a study of obese people. If you're doing a study on healty-weight people who are trying to build muscle, you may get far fewer people who will lie.
Is it supposed to be surprising that someone having weight issues would have issues reliably tracking the impacts of actions that would lead to their weight?
Have any similar "favorite studies" on hand about alcoholics who underreport alcohol use and overreport abstaining? Punching down is a favorite pastime of mine too btw :)
> Have any similar "favorite studies" on hand about alcoholics who underreport alcohol use and overreport abstaining?
Thank you for your genuine concern! Unfortunately, I don't. I track weight loss studies because I had struggled with weight gain and obesity. I am fortunate to have never had a problem with alcohol. I hope you can find the help you need.
It comes with frustration that these garbage studies mislead people who have been struggling with their weight by discouraging them from internalizing the simple facts that lead to effective and sustainable weight loss/maintenance/manipulation.
You see them cited all the time by people who've grabbed onto the next diet fad in hopes of achieving what bodybuilders and athletes who compete in weight classes have known for decades.
Participants also lost weight and muscle mass in this study. 12% calorie restriction and 10% weight loss maintained over 2 years (avg weight reduction of 7.5 kg vs 0.1 kg weight increase in control group), of which 71% was fat loss.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199212313272701
Of course, this was a study of obese people. If you're doing a study on healty-weight people who are trying to build muscle, you may get far fewer people who will lie.