Abstract
Physical activity is a cornerstone in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Given the leading physical activity barrier of time commitment and safety concerns about vigorous exercise in high-risk groups, this study aimed to investigate the effects of two extremely time-efficient training protocols (< 30 min time effort per week), either performed as high- (HIIT) or moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT) over 12 weeks, in obese MetS patients. In total, 117 patients (49.8 ± 13.6 years, BMI: 38.2 ± 6.2 kg/m2) were randomized to HIIT (n = 40), MIIT (n = 37) or an inactive control group (n = 40). All groups received nutritional counseling to support weight loss. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), MetS severity (MetS z-score), body composition and quality of life (QoL) were assessed pre-and post-intervention. All groups significantly reduced body weight (~ 3%) but only the exercise groups improved VO2max, MetS z-score and QoL. VO2max (HIIT: + 3.1 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001; MIIT: + 1.2 mL/kg/min, p < 0.05) and MetS z-score (HIIT: − 1.8 units, p < 0.001; MIIT: − 1.2 units, p < 0.01) improved in an exercise intensity-dependent manner. In conclusion, extremely low-volume interval training, even when done at moderate intensity, is sufficiently effective to improve cardiometabolic health in obese MetS patients. These findings underpin the crucial role of exercise in the treatment of obesity and MetS.
Highlights
Physical activity is a cornerstone in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS)
The aim of the present study was, to investigate the effects of two extremely time-efficient interval training protocols (< 30 min time effort per week), either performed as high-intensity (≥ 80% HRmax, high‐intensity interval training (HIIT)), which was previously shown to induce similar improvements in CRF compared to higher-volume moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in sedentary, normal-weight individuals[34], or moderate-intensity interval training (≤ 80% HRmax, moderateintensity interval training (MIIT)) versus an inactive control group (CON) on V O2max and cardiometabolic risk profile in obese MetS patients
After randomization and before intervention, 10 participants withdrawed from the study because of dissatisfaction with group allocation (MIIT = 7, CON = 3) and during the intervention period, 20 participants dropped out (HIIT = 8, MIIT = 8, CON = 4)
Summary
Physical activity is a cornerstone in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Extremely low-volume interval training, even when done at moderate intensity, is sufficiently effective to improve cardiometabolic health in obese MetS patients These findings underpin the crucial role of exercise in the treatment of obesity and MetS. It has been suggested that the widespread approach of presenting 150 min/week of PA as a necessary minimum threshold for achieving health benefits may have negative impacts on motivation because it is not a realistic target for most a dults[11] In this context, high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as an attractive, more time-efficient exercise option to higher-volume moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), which has been the most commonly prescribed exercise modality in weight loss programs for the past decades. It has been demonstrated that the uptake of HIIT after bariatric surgery may contribute to prevent weight regain and stabilize cardiometabolic risk profile in obese p atients[20]
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