How does body composition typically change with endurance training vs resistance training?

• A. Endurance increases lean mass; resistance reduces fat mass
• B. Endurance reduces fat mass and preserves lean mass; resistance increases lean mass (hypertrophy) and can also reduce fat
• C. Endurance reduces lean mass; resistance preserves fat mass
• D. Endurance increases fat mass; resistance increases fat mass

Answer: (B)

Endurance training mainly shifts fuel use toward fat oxidation and helps maintain or slightly preserve lean tissue, so fat mass tends to go down while lean mass is preserved when energy intake supports it. Resistance training, on the other hand, drives muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy, increasing lean mass, and if energy balance allows, can also bring about fat loss. So the best description is that endurance reduces fat mass and preserves lean mass; resistance increases lean mass (hypertrophy) and can also reduce fat.

Other options don’t fit because endurance isn’t primarily about increasing lean mass or fat; and endurance doesn’t typically reduce lean mass. Meanwhile, resistance training doesn’t only increase fat mass—it mainly builds muscle and can also reduce fat with proper nutrition and energy balance.