Sorry, Exercise Doesn't Boost Metabolism

You went for a half-hour run this afternoon, so it’s OK to have that extra slice of cake tonight, right? That’s actually wrong, say scientists, and they’re just as surprised about it as you. The now-debunked assumption was that exercise leaves the body with more power to burn fat for up to 24 hours, MSNBC reports.

The research team looked at groups of average people, competitive runners, lean sedentary people and obese sedentary people, and older and younger subjects. All the results agreed: You do still burn fat while exercising, but in the following 24 hours, your metabolism isn’t any faster than it would have been if you’d been slouched on the couch instead of out running. (More metabolism stories.)