Energy expenditure during a pilates exercise session: a systematic review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-0037.2025v27e95667

Keywords:

Exercise, Energy metabolism, Physical conditioning, human

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to verify the energy expenditure during a Pilates session under different intervention protocols. A systematic review was carried out, in order to verify the potential of Pilates exercises in meeting the international recommendations of 1,000 kcal/week spent with the practice of physical activity. Searches were conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and LILACS. 931 reports were located and after screening, four studies met the inclusion criteria. The total number of participants was 71 young adults. Energy expenditure in one session ranged from 64.5 ± 10.7 to 213.7 ± 76.4 Kcal. Proportionally, the highest energy expenditure (8.3 kcal/min) occurred in the following condition: Pilates on equipment, performed in 1x10 series/rep, with one minute of rest between exercises. In conclusion, to reach the recommendations of 1,000 kcal/week, Pilates practitioners must train at least three times a week, considering 60-minute sessions, with exercises performed between 10-15 repetitions and intervals of a maximum of one minute between sets.

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Published

2026-01-07