Different consecutive training protocols to design an intervention program for overweight youth: a controlled study

Giovanni Fiorilli; Enzo Iuliano; Giovanna Aquino; Emidio Campanella; Despina Tsopani; Alfonso Di Costanzo; Giuseppe Calcagno; Alessandra di Cagno

doi:10.2147/DMSO.S122110

Different consecutive training protocols to design an intervention program for overweight youth: a controlled study

Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2017 Jan 16:10:37-45. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S122110. eCollection 2017.

Authors

Giovanni Fiorilli¹, Enzo Iuliano¹, Giovanna Aquino¹, Emidio Campanella¹, Despina Tsopani², Alfonso Di Costanzo¹, Giuseppe Calcagno¹, Alessandra di Cagno³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
² Department of Motor and Health Sciences, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
³ Department of Motor, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Objective: To find the optimal exercise program to be recommended in reducing adiposity and promoting long-term physical activity adherence in a sample of overweight adolescents.

Methods: Forty-five overweight adolescents were randomly divided into three exercise groups, to perform two phases of physical activity as follows: in the first phase, the first group performed a 16-week moderate-intensity resistance training (RT), the second group performed a 16-week high-intensity RT, and the third group performed a 16-week aerobic training (AT); in the second phase, all groups performed a 6-week AT. Anthropometric body composition and fitness measures were considered as outcome measures.

Results: After the second protocol, both RT groups showed a significant improvement in percentage of fat mass (F_2,76 = 5.843; p = 0.004; h² = 0.133) and free fat mass (F_2,76 = 6.254; p = 0.003; h² = 0.141), and in fitness tests (p < 0.01). The VO₂max values of the RT groups were significantly higher than those of the AT group (F_2,38 = 4.264; p = 0.021; h² = 0.183). The rate of adherence to exercise was an average of 94% in both RT groups, whereas in the AT group, it was 83%. During the 12-week post-intervention follow-up, the number of participants who continued to perform physical activities was significantly higher in both the RT groups than in the AT group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The present study provides preliminary evidence that moderate-to-intense RT, followed by AT, can be an effective treatment for overweight adolescents, and the positive effects are maintained even after 12 weeks of follow-up.

Keywords: adherence; adolescents; exercise; obesity; resistance training.