Weighted Vests: What The Science Actually Says

Influencers promote weighted vests as a science-backed tool, encouraging their followers to go for walks while wearing the vest to improve bone mineral density, muscle size, and strength. Do the PMIDs in their posts actually support the claims?

This article was originally published in the MASS Research Review. For more articles like this, check out MASS!

Key Points

• There is no evidence that walking with a weighted vest increases bone mineral density, builds or preserves muscle mass, or accelerates the rate of fat loss.

• A weighted vest can be utilized as resistance for some exercises (e.g. squats and lunges), but progressive overload is important, so you’ll need a heavier vest over time.

• All physical activity is good. If wearing a weighted vest encourages you to walk more often, great! Just be mindful that it is not a substitute for challenging, progressive resistance training.

Weighted vests are all the rage on Instagram and TikTok. Celebrities are wearing them in magazines, suburban neighborhoods are full of women wearing them while walking the dog or pushing a stroller, and big companies like Peloton have launched “weighted vest walking classes.” Popular menopause influencer Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a huge proponent of weighted vest walks, claiming “you can reap a multitude of benefits, ranging from stronger bones, increased muscle mass, and endurance to improve overall strength.” Instagram and TikTok reels heavily promote 30-minute weighted vest walks as a game changer for muscle and bone, adding that they help you burn calories and promote weight loss.

Who cares about social media trends? This seemingly simple, multi-purpose fitness solution is extremely appealing to mid-life women who understand the importance of maintaining muscle mass and bone mineral density with age. And this messaging reaches more than the misinformed masses. Physicians, including some endocrinologists, are recommending weighted-vest walks to patients as a way to mitigate bone loss. Dr. Haver’s recent Substack post states that “unlike many other fitness fads, the benefits have been documented in peer-reviewed research going back more than two decades.” So let’s take a look at what the scientific data does – and doesn’t – show.

Weighted-Vests for Bone

The rationale for the benefit of weighted-vests walks for bone health is that more load on the skeleton increases ground reaction forces, stimulating bone adaptations. Some influencers even suggest it’s better than resistance training because there is less joint stress. The explanation for muscle size and strength: adding load forces your muscles to work harder during the walk. I understand why this is compelling, but the hypothesis misses the mark. Let’s dive in.

Study 1: Shaw et al (1998)

Shaw and colleagues assessed the effect of a nine-month exercise intervention on bone mineral density (BMD) and isokinetic strength (1). The study included an exercise group of 18 postmenopausal women who engaged in exercise and a control group (non-exercising group) of 22 postmenopausal women. The exercise program included stepping, squats, lunges, toe raises and jumps while wearing a weighted vest. Vest load progressively increased from 5% to 16-20% body weight. There were no significant changes in BMD in either group, but there were minor improvements in body composition and increased hip abduction and knee extension strength in the exercise group compared to the control group (Table 1).

Study 2: Snow et al (2000)

This is the most commonly cited paper by folks who claim that weighted-vest walks improve BMD Snow and colleagues aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of weighted vest exercise on hip BMD in postmenopausal women (2). This was an extension of the Shaw study discussed above. A group of nine postmenopausal women exercised three days per week for 32 weeks of the year for five years, while a control group of nine did not. The exercise group performed squats, lunges, and jumps while wearing a weighted vest. The average weight of the vest was 11.3 lbs. BMD increased in the femoral neck in the exercise group, but not in the control group. BMD decreased in trochanter and total hip in both groups, but to a greater extent in the control group (Figure 1).

The Shaw and Snow studies show that performing lower body exercises using a weighted vest as resistance is more effective than not exercising. How do these data support the claim that walking with a weighted vest is beneficial for muscle or bone? They don’t.

Study 3: Klentrou et al (2007)

A 2007 paper by Klentrou and colleagues included weighted-vest walks in the exercise program (3). They assessed the effect of a 12-week weighted-vest training program on changes in isokinetic strength and markers of bone turnover (serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation) and serum cross-linked N-terminal telopeptide (NTx, a marker of bone resorption). Bone turnover is characterized by formation, the building of new bone by osteoblasts, and resorption, the breakdown of bone by osteoclasts. The rate of bone turnover results in net gain or loss of bone mass. All participants (nine exercisers and nine controls) were postmenopausal women. The weighted-vest exercise program consisted of three weekly sessions of:

• 20 min walking at 75% of age-predicted maximal heart rate

• 3 sets of 10 squats, lunges, leg lifts, and calf raises

• 5 min of crunches and back extensions

• 15 min of balance exercises

Vest load progressively increased from 3% to 15% bodyweight. There were significant group-by-time interactions for % body fat, fat-free mass, plantar flexion peak torque, and NTx. Body fat percentage significantly decreased (37.4 ± 7.4 kg to 35.6 ± 6.3 kg), fat-free mass significantly increased (44.7 ± 3.9 to 46.3 ± 3.6 kg), plantar flexion peak torque significantly increased (37.8 ± 8.4 to 52.2 ± 14.0 Nm), and NTx significantly decreased (13.1 ± 4.5 to 11.2 ± 3.1 nM BCE/L) in the exercise group only. There were no significant changes in knee extension or flexion torque or osteocalcin in either group. In summary, there were some positive effects of a weighted-vest exercise program, but, of course, we can’t tease out the effects of the weighted-vest walk from the lower body and balance exercises.

Study 4: Jessup (2003)

Study participants (18 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis) were randomized to a weighted-vest exercise group or a control group (4). During the 32-week intervention, the exercise group trained 3 days per week. Each session included resistance exercises (biceps curl, chest press, overhead press, triceps extension, leg extension, leg curl, lumbar extension, and abdominal flexion), 30-45 minutes of weighted-vest walking and stair climbing, and balance exercises. Vest load progressed to 10% bodyweight. There was a significant increase in BMD of the femoral neck in the exercise group (0.67 ± 0.04 to 0.74 ± 0.05 g/cm² ) and there was a significant decrease in femoral neck BMD (0.78 ± 0.09 to 0.74 ± 0.13 g/cm² ) in the control group. The reported 11% increase in 8 months in the exercise group is extremely surprising; bisphosphonate (the most common anti-osteoporotic drug) typically increases BMD by ~2% in one year (5). But even if we take the data at face value, this study shows that an exercise program that included resistance training and weighted-vest walking was more effective than not exercising.

You might be wondering if there are there any studies that actually assessed the effect of walking with a weighted vest compared to walking without a vest. There are, but for some reason the proponents of the weighted-vest walks never cite these papers!

Study 5: Tantiwiboonchai et al (2011)

Tantiwiboonchai and colleagues compared the effects of walking with and without weighted vests on markers of bone formation and resorption (6). Participants (24 walkers and 24 weighted-vest walkers) were women aged 30-60. The 12-week exercise program included 3 weekly 30-minute walks with or without a weighted vest at 65-75% maximal heart rate. Vest load progressively increased from 2% to 8% bodyweight. β-crossLaps (a marker of bone resorption) decreased in both groups (walking: 0.357 + 0.168 to 0.279 + 0.137 ng/ml; weighted-vest walking: 0.350 + 0.227 to 0.283 + 0.132 ng/ml) with no significant differences between groups. There were no significant changes in P1NP (a marker of bone formation), fat mass or fat-free mass in either group.

Study 6: Roghani et al (2013)

Roghani and colleagues assessed the effect of walking with and without weighted vests on markers of bone formation (Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase; BALP) and resorption (NTx) (7). Participants (8 walkers, 9 weighted-vest walkers, 10 controls) were postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The 6-week exercise program included three weekly 20-minute walks with or without a weighted vest at 50-60% maximal heart rate. Vest load progressively increased from 2% to 8% bodyweight. BALP levels increased and NTx levels decreased in both exercise groups with no significant differences between groups (Figure 2).

The studies are summarized in Table 2. Are there limitations to these studies? Absolutely. In order to assess changes in bone density, the intervention should last at least eight months. Small sample sizes are another major limitation in all of the aforementioned studies. It’s difficult to confidently rely on data from between-subject designs with less than 10 participants per group. That said, the primary takeaway is not very controversial: exercise is better than no exercise. And the results from the only studies that actually measured the effect of walking with or without a weighted vest on markers of bone turnover do not demonstrate a benefit to wearing a weighted vest.

I want to briefly mention a recently published study – a 12-month intervention with 133 participants – that assessed the effect of weighted-vest use compared to resistance training on weight-loss associated bone loss.

Study 7: Beavers et al (2025)

Obese older adults were randomized to one of three groups: weight loss, weight loss + weighted vest, and weight loss + resistance training (8). The weight loss intervention was designed to elicit a 10% loss of body mass over 12 months. The weighted vest group was asked to wear a weighted vest 8 h/d and vest load progressively increased from 1-lb to 10% of baseline bodyweight. The resistance training group trained 3 days per week, performing 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions of 8 exercises at 70%-75% 1 repetition maximum. The researchers reported a −1.2% to −1.9% loss of hip BMD in all 3 groups, concluding that neither resistance training nor weighted vest use mitigated bone loss during weight-loss. While it’s interesting to hypothesize that replacing weight loss with added weighted vest load might help to mitigate BMD losses (which would be expected as simply having less mass produces less bone stress), perhaps 8h/day is not sufficient to overcome the 24 hour change.

Weighted-Vests for Fat Loss

The rationale for this claim is that your heart rate will be higher with the vest or you will burn more calories during the walk. Why would we want a higher heart rate? Intentionally training in different heart rate zones makes sense to maximize endurance performance. For fat loss, not so much. First, I would never recommend tracking energy expenditure during a workout with a wrist-wearable. An analysis of 22 studies reported that all wrist-wearables inaccurately estimated energy expenditure (9), with a mean error > 30% for all brands. Tracking accuracy aside, even the theoretical impact of walking with a weighted vested is negligible in magnitude. You can use this tool to estimate the calories burned during various bouts of walking with different levels of body mass. Even if you use a vest to increase your “walking weight” substantially, the predicted impact on total calories burned is fairly inconsequential. Second, weight loss from exercise alone is typically only 20-50% of what you’d predict due to compensatory increases in energy intake and reductions in non-exercise energy expenditure (10). In other words, people tend to eat more and move less (check out this article by Dr. Helms for a deep dive). For those reasons, weighted-vest walks won’t be a weight loss game changer. But what if you wear the vest all day?

Study 8: Ohlsson et al (2020)

Ohlsson and colleagues have developed and tested the gravitostat model of weight regulation in rodents (11). Briefly, they found that weighted implants decrease body weight by downregulating appetite in obese rodents. The gravitostat model posits that there are weight-sensitive “sensors,” thought to be located within weight-bearing bones, that keep tabs on our weight. As body mass increases and those sensors detect greater gravitational pull, the brain is thought to receive the message that body mass is sufficiently high, which would theoretically prompt appetite downregulation in response. The rodent study findings led to a proof of concept study (12) testing this model in humans. In a 3-week trial, 69 healthy obese adults wore a high load (11% bodyweight) weighted vest or a low load (1% bodyweight) weighted vest for eight hours per day. The high load group lost an average of 1.61 kg (range: −1.98 to −1.24) and the low load group lost an average of −0.30 kg (range: −0.66 to 0.05 kg). The magnitude of weight loss was substantially lower than what the researchers observed in rodents and there were no significant changes in self-reported food intake in either group, so it’s unclear if the mechanism underpinning the gravitostat model applies to humans. Even if it did, an implanted weight that impacts a rodent 24/7 is not equivalent to wearing a vest for a third of the day.

Study 9: Normandin et al (2018)

In this 22-week pilot study, 37 obese older adults were randomized to a dietary weight loss or dietary weight loss + weighted-vest group (13). Normandin and colleagues were optimistic that the vest would help preserve lean mass. Participants in the vest group were asked to wear the vest for 10 hours per day and vest load progressed from 1% to 15% of the participant’s baseline weight. The diet group lost −11.2 ± 4.4 kg and the diet + weighted vest group lost −11.0 ± 6.3 kg. Vest use did not significantly affect changes in body mass, fat mass or lean mass.

It’s worth noting that some participants in the vest groups in both the Ohlsson and the Normandin studies reported back pain and general discomfort. Even if it were feasible to wear a weighted vest all day, the potential benefits don’t seem to outweigh the inconvenience.

The Bottom Line

Exercise and nutrition recommendations should be based on studies that actually measured the effect of the intervention (i.e. the diet, training program, meal timing, supplement, etc.) on the outcome people care about (i.e. fat loss, muscle growth, bone density, etc.). Until we have any evidence that regular weighted-vest walks are more effective than walking without a vest, people should stop claiming that weighted-vest walks are a “science-backed tool” to build muscle, strength, and bone.

What Should We Do to Preserve Muscle and Bone Mass?

While different modalities – resistance training, weight-bearing aerobic exercise, or high-impact movements – can all be beneficial, the key factor is engaging in physical activity regularly over time. Bone adapts slowly, and sustained mechanical loading is necessary to stimulate and preserve bone mass. Resistance training is uniquely beneficial, because it’s the optimal way to build muscle size and strength and it is also beneficial for preserving bone. If there is a multi-purpose fitness solution, it’s not walking with a weighted vest; it’s lifting weights. The good news? Resistance training prescriptions are extremely flexible. Men and women of all ages can gain muscle mass and strength with high load or low load training, free weights or machines, as long as the stimulus is sufficiently challenging (i.e. you are 1-2 reps short of failure). Consistency and progressive overload (adding load or repetitions over time) are key for continued long term adaptations.

Conclusions & Practical Takeaways

There is no evidence that walking with a weighted vest increases bone mineral density, builds or preserves muscle mass, or accelerates the rate of fat loss more than walking without a vest. A weighted vest can be utilized as resistance for some exercises (e.g. squats and lunges), but progressive overload is important, so you’ll need a heavier vest over time. All physical activity is beneficial. If wearing a weighted vest encourages you to walk more often, great! Just be mindful that it is not a substitute for challenging, progressive resistance training.

References

1. Shaw JM, Snow CM. Weighted vest exercise improves indices of fall risk in older women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1998 Jan;53(1):M53-8.

2. Snow CM, Shaw JM, Winters KM, Witzke KA. Long-term exercise using weighted vests prevents hip bone loss in postmenopausal women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000 Sep;55(9):M489-91

3. Klentrou P, Slack J, Roy B, Ladouceur M. Effects of exercise training with weighted vests on bone turnover and isokinetic strength in postmenopausal women. J Aging Phys Act. 2007 Jul;15(3):287-99

4. Jessup JV, Horne C, Vishen RK, Wheeler D. Effects of exercise on bone density, balance, and self-efficacy in older women. Biol Res Nurs. 2003 Jan;4(3):171-80

5. Jarusriwanna A, Malisorn S, Tananoo S, Areewong K, Rasamimongkol S, Laoruengthana A. Efficacy and Safety of Generic Alendronate for Osteoporosis Treatment. Orthop Res Rev. 2024 Feb 22;16:85-91.

6. Tantiwiboonchai N, Kritpet T, Yuktanandana P. A comparison between the effects of the walking exercise with and without weighted vests on bone resorption and health-related physical fitness in the working women. J Med Assoc Thai. 2011 Oct;94 Suppl 5:S24-30

7. Roghani T, Torkaman G, Movasseghe S, Hedayati M, Goosheh B, Bayat N. Effects of short-term aerobic exercise with and without external loading on bone metabolism and balance in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Rheumatol Int. 2013 Feb;33(2):291-8

8. Beavers KM, Lynch SD, Fanning J, Howard M, Lawrence E, Lenchik L, Shapses SA, Weaver AA, Wherry SJ, Zamora Z, Nicklas BJ, Beavers DP. Weighted Vest Use or Resistance Exercise to Offset Weight Loss-Associated Bone Loss in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jun 2;8(6):e2516772

9. Germini F, Noronha N, Borg Debono V, Abraham Philip B, Pete D, Navarro T, Keepanasseril A, Parpia S, de Wit K, Iorio A. Accuracy and Acceptability of Wrist-Wearable Activity-Tracking Devices: Systematic Review of the Literature. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Jan 21;24(1):e30791

10. Broskey NT, Martin CK, Burton JH, Church TS, Ravussin E, Redman LM. Effect of Aerobic Exercise-induced Weight Loss on the Components of Daily Energy Expenditure. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021 Oct 1;53(10):2164-2172

11. Ohlsson C, Hägg DA, Hammarhjelm F, Dalmau Gasull A, Bellman J, Windahl SH, Palsdottir V, Jansson JO. The Gravitostat Regulates Fat Mass in Obese Male Mice While Leptin Regulates Fat Mass in Lean Male Mice. Endocrinology. 2018 Jul 1;159(7):2676-2682.

12. Ohlsson C, Gidestrand E, Bellman J, Larsson C, Palsdottir V, Hägg D, Jansson PA, Jansson JO. Increased weight loading reduces body weight and body fat in obese subjects - A proof of concept randomized clinical trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Apr 30;22:100338.

13. Normandin E, Yow D, Crotts C, Kiel J, Beavers KM, Nicklas BJ. Feasibility of Weighted Vest Use during a Dietary Weight Loss Intervention and Effects on Body Composition and Physical Function in Older Adults. J Frailty Aging. 2018;7(3):198-203