Effect of high intensity interval training on body composition in women before and after menopause: a meta‐analysis

Abstract

New Findings What is the topic of this review?A meta‐analysis of the efficacy of high intensity interval training (HIIT) in reducing weight, total fat mass (FM) and (intra)‐abdominal FM in normal‐weight and overweight/obese women before and after menopause. What advances does it highlight?HIIT programmes in women significantly decrease body weight and total and abdominal FM. Their effects are more evident in pre‐ than in postmenopausal women. Cycling HIIT seems more effective than running, especially in postmenopausal women, and training interventions longer than 8 weeks comprising three sessions a week should be promoted. Abstract High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) is a stimulating modality for reducing body weight and adipose tissue. The purpose of this meta‐analysis was to assess the efficacy of HIIT in reducing weight, total fat mass (FM) and (intra)‐abdominal FM in normal‐weight and overweight/obese women before and after menopause. A structured electronic search was performed to find all publications relevant to our review. Stratified analyses were made of hormonal status (pre‐ vs. postmenopausal state), weight, HIIT modalities (cycling vs. running), programme duration (< or ≥8 weeks) and the methods used to measure body composition (dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry vs. computed tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and others). A total of 38 studies involving 959 subjects were included. Our meta‐analysis showed that overall HIIT programmes significantly decrease weight, total and abdominal FM in women. Both normal weight and overweight/obese women lost total FM after HIIT protocols whereas HIIT was only effective in decreasing abdominal FM in women with excess adiposity. When pre‐ and postmenopausal women were considered separately, the effect of HIIT on weight, total and abdominal FM were only significant before menopause. Cycling HIIT seemed more effective than running, especially in postmenopausal women, and training interventions longer than 8 weeks comprising three sessions were more efficient. HIIT is a successful strategy to lose weight and FM in normal weight and overweight/obese women. However, further studies are still needed to draw meaningful conclusions about the real effectiveness of HIIT protocols in postmenopausal women.

Changes in Appetite-Dependent Hormones and Body Composition After 8 Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training and Vitamin D Supplementation in Sedentary Overweight Men

“…Liao et al observed a significant reduction in body weight and BMI in individuals with obesity after 6 weeks of HIIT (32). Dupuit et al also showed that HIIT reduced body fat percentage, body weight and BMI in women with overweight (42). One of the metabolic adaptations due to HIIT is an increase in fat oxidation by changing the metabolism pathway [decreasing the fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme and increasing fat oxidation] witch lead to changes in body composition (43).…”

Physiological Effects and Inter-Individual Variability to 12 Weeks of High Intensity-Interval Training and Dietary Energy Restriction in Overweight/Obese Adult Women

“…These results agree with several reviews and meta-analyses demonstrating that HIIT interventions allow multiple beneficial effects for health in a time-efficient manner, both in adults with obesity ( Turk et al, 2017 ; Rugbeer et al, 2021 ) and lifestyle-induced cardiometabolic diseases ( Gibala et al, 2012 ; Weston et al, 2014 ; Batacan et al, 2017 ; Maillard et al, 2018 ; Viana et al, 2019 ). Moreover, the meta-analysis by Dupuit et al (2020) shows that cycling HIIT programs over 8 weeks are most effective in reducing fat and body mass in women before menopause ( Dupuit et al, 2020 ). Correspondingly, the systematic review and meta-analysis by Johns et al (2014) reported that programs combining exercise and diet are more effective in the short and long term for behavioral weight management ( Johns et al, 2014 ).…”

The effect of endurance and endurance-strength training on body composition and cardiometabolic markers in abdominally obese women: a randomised trial

“…As was reported previously, the effect of the exercise intervention on body composition and cardiometabolic markers may significantly differ between men and women 22 , 27 – 29 . Moreover, the effect of training may differ between pre- and postmenopausal women 30 . It is well known that menopause is linked to an increased risk number of health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases 31 .…”