Impact of training modes on fitness and body composition in women with obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of different exercise modalities and determine the optimal exercise prescription for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and metabolic health of women with obesity. Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 1988 and October 2020 was conducted. The RCTs were screened using the following inclusion criteria: 1) participants: women aged 18 to 65 years with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and without comorbidities; 2) intervention: exercise; 3) comparison: non‐intervention control; and 4) outcomes measures: cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen consumption), body composition (i.e., body weight, percentage body fat), and/or metabolic measures (i.e., blood pressure, cholesterol). Results A total of 20 RCTs with a total of 2,062 participants were included. Although the results showed that any form of exercise was more effective than control, improvements in fitness and body composition were modest. Aerobic exercise (vigorous and moderate intensity) appeared most promising for improving fitness and body weight, whereas low‐load resistance training resulted in the largest improvements in body fatness. Conclusions In women living with obesity, aerobic exercise was consistently effective in improving fitness and body composition. Although both resistance training and combined exercise interventions appear promising, more research is needed to evaluate their efficacy and determine an optimal exercise prescription for this population.

Which exercise interventions are more helpful in treating primary obesity in young adults: A Systematic review and Bayesian Network Meta-analysis

“…In addition, our study shows different results from previous studies due to the inclusion of COM-HI motion mode. In their study, Pedro et al mentioned that resistance training combined with aerobic training had a -3.8% reduction in fat%, 95% CL: [-4.7, -2.9][71], and in Mary E et al's study, resistance training had the greatest effect on fat% reduction, -1.4%, 95% CL: [-4.24, 1.44] [72]. But our study found that COM-HI was perhaps the best exercise intervention for reducing P r e p r i n t fat%: -4.7%.…”

Lower fitness levels, higher fat-to-lean mass ratios, and lower cardiorespiratory endurance are more likely to affect the body mass index of Saudi children and adolescents

“…Data also revealed that, despite the lack of any significant difference in BMI between boys and girls, boys were more enduring, stronger, less fat, and less flexible than girls. According to Davis et al ( 43 ), three physiological factors may explain these differences. First, although girls tend to store more total body fat and subcutaneous fat, they oxidize fat more than carbohydrates during endurance and high-intensity exercise due to differences in muscle fiber typology (i.e., the ratio of type I to type II fibers).…”

“…This allows girls to have less adaptive stimulus to physical activity, who tend to experience smaller relative gains and adjustments than boys in response to chronic exercise, despite equal workloads ( 45 ). Not surprisingly, girls, regardless of BMI, tend to have lower levels of fitness than their male counterparts ( 43 ).…”

Effects of Intermittent Normobaric Hypoxia on Health-Related Outcomes in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…However, in most of the studies included in this systematic review no changes were found. The magnitude of changes in body composition depend on various factors, such as the type of intervention [55], the severity of hypoxic dose (i.e., %FiO 2 and duration) [52], the level of physical activity and the nutritional intake of the participants [56], in addition to the individual adaptive response [52]. These issues have not been carefully reported or controlled in any of the abovementioned studies, suggesting their possible influence.…”