Abstract
BackgroundTo investigate the differences in body composition and metabolic syndrome (MS) under a daily 12,000-step strategy with or without moderate-intensity walking exercise in college students with obesity.MethodsThirty-two adults with obesity (mean (s.d.) age: 19.72 (0.80) years; height: 165.38 (3.99) cm; wt: 83.31 (4.66) kg; body mass index: 30.38 (0.83) kg m− 2) were recruited and randomly assigned to the walking step goal group (WSG; achieving 12,000 steps per day), walking exercise group (WEG; achieving 12,000 steps per day, including 3 days per week on which walking at a step rate of over 103 steps min− 1 was required), or control group (CG; maintaining a free-living life style). Each participant’s accumulated daily steps from daily activities and walking exercises were monitored using a smartwatch for 8 weeks. The variables of body composition and MS were measured before and after intervention.ResultsAverage daily steps over 8 weeks did not significantly differ between the WSG and WEG (11,677.67 (480.24) vs. 12,131.90 (527.14) steps per day, respectively, P > .05). Although the CG and WSG showed no improvement in body composition, the WEG exhibited significant improvements in terms of hip circumference and visceral fat area (VFA) (∆ − 2.28 (3.27) cm and ∆ − 13.11 (9.83) cm2, respectively, P < .05); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose (FG), and triglycerides (TG) (∆ 16.36 (8.39), ∆ − 2.53 (3.73), and ∆ − 10.52 (36.26) mg dL− 1, respectively, P < .05). The WSG exhibited improvements only in HDL-C (∆ 14.24 (16.13) mg dL− 1, P < .05).ConclusionThe combination of walking exercise program and daily step goal is a more time efficient strategy in improving body composition and MS than simply establishing a daily step goal. Furthermore, this strategy may also include a potential reduction effect on the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12618001237279 (Retrospectively registered).
Highlights
To investigate the differences in body composition and metabolic syndrome (MS) under a daily 12, 000-step strategy with or without moderate-intensity walking exercise in college students with obesity
Some risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are collectively referred to as metabolic syndrome (MS); MS is defined by the presence of any three of the following risk factors: abdominal obesity, hypertension, elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides (TGs), and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [1]
Post hoc analysis revealed no differences in daily steps between the walking step goal group (WSG)
Summary
To investigate the differences in body composition and metabolic syndrome (MS) under a daily 12, 000-step strategy with or without moderate-intensity walking exercise in college students with obesity. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A study on Taiwanese individuals from 2005 to 2008 determined the prevalence of overweight and obesity during this period was 50.8 and 36.9% among men and women, respectively, and MS was 25.5 and 31.5% among men and women, respectively [2]. A study on the period 2013–2014 revealed the prevalence of obesity in men and women was 48.9 and 38.3%, respectively [3]. These studies have revealed overweight and obesity are common among the Taiwanese population; reducing their prevalence depends on effective monitoring and treatment to reduce their impact on human health
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