Outcomes | Sub-Group Comparison of Meta-Analysis | # of Individual Studies Included in Meta-Analysis | Number of Participants Included in Meta-Analysis | Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) | 95 % Confidence Interval | P value of overall effect | I2 statistic (p value for heterogeneity) | Interpretation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean Body Weight (kg) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 5 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Lox 1995 [38]; Smith 2001 [40]) | 151 | 0.38 kg | −1.55, 2.31 | 0.70 | 48 % (p = 0.10) | No significant difference in change in body weight among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Aerobic exercise (constant or interval) compared with no exercise AND Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 68 | 0.37 kg | −5.32, 6.05 | 0.90 | 71 % (p = 0.06) | No significant difference in change in body weight among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 3 studies | 83 | 0.81 kg | −0.94, 2.56 | 0.37 | 19 % (p = 0.29) | No significant difference in change in body weight among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with diet or nutrition counselling alone | 3 studies | 161 | −0.58 kg | −4.33, 3.17 | 0.76 | 93 % (p < 0.00001) | No significant difference in change in body weight for participants in the combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with the diet or nutrition counselling group only. | |
Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 6 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Farinatti 2010 [32]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Lox 1995 [38]; Mutimura 2008a [45]; Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 227 | 0.07 kg/m2 | −0.52, 0.66 | 0.81 | 59 % (p = 0.03) | No significant difference in change in body mass index among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 118 | 0.06 kg/m2 | −1.89, 2.02 | 0.95 | 64 % (p = 0.10) | No significant difference in change in body mass index among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 4 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Farinatti 2010 [32]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 109 | 0.21 kg/m2 | −0.27, 0.68 | 0.40 | 0 % (p = 0.40) | No significant difference in change in body mass index among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with diet or nutrition counselling alone | 3 studies (Balasubramanyam 2011 [33]; Ogalha 2011 [28]; Terry 2006 [52]) | 161 | −0.57 kg/m2 | −1.26, 0.13 | 0.11 | 82 % (p = 0.004) | No significant difference in change in body mass index for participants in the combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with the diet or nutrition counselling group only. | |
Lean Body Mass (kg) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 4 studies (Farinatti 2010 [32]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Lox 1995 [38]; Perez-Moreno 2007 [27]) | 89 | 1.75 kg | 0.13, 3.37 | 0.03a | 16 % (p = 0.31) | Significant increase in lean body mass among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 3 studies (Farinatti 2010 [32], Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Perez-Moreno [27]) | 68 | 1.23 kg | −0.62, 3.08 | 0.19 | 17 % (p = 0.30) | No difference in lean body mass among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Leg Muscle Area (cm2) | Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 60 | 4.79 cm2 | 2.04, 7.54 | 0.0007a | 11 % (p = 0.29) | Significant increase in leg muscle area among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Percent Body Fat (%) | Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 119 | −1.12 % | −2.18, −0.07 | 0.04a | 8 % (p = 0.30) | Significant decrease in percent body fat among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with diet or nutrition counselling alone | 2 studies | 93 | −2.35 % | −4.20, −0.50 | 0.01a | 46 % (p = 0.17) | Significant decrease in percent body fat among participants in the combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with the diet or nutrition counselling group only. | |
Fat Mass (kg) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 4 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Grinspoon 2000 [42]; Lox 1995 [38]) | 102 | 0.15 kg | −0.59, 0.90 | 0.69 | 0 % (p = 0.82) | No difference in change in fat mass among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 3 studies | 81 | 0.18 kg | −0.74, 1.10 | 0.70 | 0 % (p = 0.63) | No difference in change in fat mass among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Waist Circumference (cm) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 5 studies (Dolan 2006 [51]; Fitch 2012 [31]; Mutimura 2008a [45], Smith 2001 [40]) | 224 | −2.16 cm | −4.86, 0.54 | 0.12 | 82 % (p = 0.0002) | No difference in change in waist circumference among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies (Mutimura 2008a [45]; Smith 2001 [40]; Tiozzo 2011 [26]) | 142 | −3.53 cm | −10.25, 3.19 | 0.30 | 94 % (p < 0.0001) | No difference in change in waist circumference among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 3 studies | 82 | −1.33 cm | −4.21, 1.54 | 0.36 | 37 % (p = 0.21) | No difference in change in waist circumference among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Hip Circumference (cm) | Aerobic (constant or interval) exercise or combined aerobic and PRE compared with no exercise | 3 studies | 165 | −0.06 cm | −0.23, 0.11 | 0.50 | 0 % (p = 0.44) | No difference in change in hip circumference among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Constant aerobic exercise compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 142 | 0.11 cm | −0.63, 0.85 | 0.77 | 35 % (p = 0.22) | No difference in change in hip circumference among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. | |
Waist-to-Hip Ratio (cm) | Combined aerobic and PRE group compared with no exercise | 2 studies | 142 | −0.51 cm | −1.47, 0.45 | 0.30 | 100 % (p < 0.00001) | No difference in change in waist-to-hip ratio among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. |
Combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with diet or nutrition counselling alone | 2 studies | 93 | 0.02 cm | 0.01, 0.03 | <0.00001a | 0 % (p = 1.00) | Significantly greater increase in waist-to-hip ratio among participants in the combined aerobic exercise and diet or nutrition counselling group compared with the diet or nutrition counselling group only. |