What’s the best workout for dropping pounds and building muscle mass? The answer depends on a number of factors, but a study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggests that 30 minutes of daily exercise might help you lose more weight than a full hour of running, biking and rowing.

Researchers recruited 60 overweight, but healthy male subjects and set them the task of exercising for 30 or 60 minutes every day for 3 months. On average, the men who trained for half an hour every day lost 8 pounds whereas those who worked out for a full hour every day only lost around 6 pounds.

True Strength Moment: There are two possible reasons for these conflicting results. The guys who trained for half an hour probably left the gym feeling more energised than the subjects who trained for twice as long. As a result, they were ready for more physical activity later in the day. As there was no diet element to this study, scientists also speculated that an hour’s worth of effort may have prompted this group to consume more food, thereby offsetting the potential for weight loss.