Concurrent Resistance and Aerobic Training in the Prevention of Overweight and Obesity in Young Adults

Abstract

Obesity is now the most prevalent disease of children and young adults in the USA. Studies have demonstrated that young adults (18-25 years) are increasingly susceptible to unfavourable alterations in body composition due to a decline in physical activity during their transition from adolescence to adulthood. This specific age group is at its peak vulnerability to unfavourable alterations in body composition especially once becoming independent of their parental support. PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine the effects of a six-week concurrent resistance and aerobic training program on body composition in apparently healthy sedentary college-aged males. METHODS: Twenty-eight sedentary males were assigned to either a six-week concurrent aerobic or resistance training group (CART) (n = 15) or a non-exercising control group (CON) (n = 13). The CART took part in a six-week progressive concurrent training program, three times weekly for ∼60 minutes per session while the CON were instructed to maintain their normal daily activities throughout the six-week experimental period. RESULTS: Six weeks of concurrent training resulted in significant improvements in waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (from 0.94 ± 0.04 to 0.92 ± 0.05; p = 0.042), fat free mass (FFM) (from 57.46 ± 9.16 kg to 58.21 ± 8.65 kg; p = 0.018), percentage body fat (PBF) (from 14.56 ± 5.96% to 13.2 4 ± 5.77%, p = 0.006), fat mass (FM) (10.22 ± 5.31 kg to 9.29 ± 5.17 kg; p = 0.008), sum of skinfolds (ΣSKF) (from 96.22 ± 35.64 mm to 87.67 ± 32.15 mm; p = 0.004) from pre-test to post-test. CONCLUSION: Six weeks of concurrent aerobic and resistance training can effectively be used to improve body composition in even apparently healthy adult males and may be an effective tool at reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in young adults and their associated concomitant diseases.