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Review
. 2021 Feb;22(2):e13137.
doi: 10.1111/obr.13137. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

What exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta-analysis

Grainne O'Donoghue  1 , Catherine Blake  1 , Caitriona Cunningham  1 , Olive Lennon  1 , Carla Perrotta  1
Affiliations
Review

What exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta-analysis

Grainne O'Donoghue et al. Obes Rev. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Current international guidelines recommend people living with obesity should be prescribed a minimum of 300 min of moderately intense activity per week for weight loss. However, the most efficacious exercise prescription to improve anthropometry, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and metabolic health in this population remains unknown. Thus, this network meta-analysis was conducted to assess and rank comparative efficacy of different exercise interventions on anthropometry, CRF and other metabolic risk factors. Five electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared different exercise modalities to improve anthropometry, CRF and/or metabolic health in adults living with obesity. RCTs were evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random effects network meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework. Of the 6663 articles retrieved, 45 studies with a total 3566 participants were included. Results reveal that while any type of exercise intervention is more effective than control, weight loss induced is modest. Interventions that combine high-intensity aerobic and high-load resistance training exert beneficial effects that are superior to any other exercise modality at decreasing abdominal adiposity, improving lean body mass and increasing CRF. Clinicians should consider this evidence when prescribing exercise for adults living with obesity, to ensure optimal effectiveness.

Keywords: F.I.T.T; exercise training; network meta-analysis; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow chart
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Network meta‐analysis maps of the studies examining the efficacy of exercise intervensions in people living with obesity on (A) weight loss, (B) body mass index, (C) waist circumference, (D) percentage body fat and (E) fitness. The size of the nodes relates to the number of participants in that intervention type, and the thickness of lines between the interventions relates to the number of studies for that comparison
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