¿Puede el ejercicio físico per se disminuir el peso corporal en sujetos con sobrepeso/obesidad? / Exercise as a tool to reduce body weight

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing, creating a public health problem. The loss of approximately 10% of body weight is recommended to reduce the risk of mortality associated with metabolic diseases and to increase the quality of life in adults with overweight or obesity. Non-pharmacological strategies used for weight management are caloric restriction and physical exercise. Nevertheless, the independent effect of physical exercise to decrease body weight is unclear, and could be responsible for only 20% of the weight loss when healthy lifestyles are prescribed. However, exercise has other benefits for health, independent of its weight reducing effect. In fact, physical inactivity is responsible for twice the deaths caused by obesity. The aim of this review is to discuss the importance of physical exercise in the reduction of body weight in subjects with overweight or obesity.

¿Pueden ocho semanas de ejercicio físico combinado normalizar marcadores metabólicos de sujetos hiperglicémicos y dislipidémicos? / Eight weeks of combined high intensity intermittent exercise normalized altered metabolic parameters in women

Background: Short term physical training programs may improve insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Aim: To assess the effects of eight weeks of combined exercise program on serum lipids and glycemic level in women with hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Patients and Methods: Ten healthy women, nine women with hyperglycemia, ten with hypercholesterolemia and nine with hyperglycemia/hypercholesterolemia were studied. Participants were subjected to eight weeks into a program of combined physical exercise (high intensity interval + resistance training). Results: Fasting glycemia decreased by 12 and 14% in hyperglycemic and hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic participants, respectively. Serum insulin decreased in all groups in a range from 27 to 37%. HOMA IR for insulin resistance decreased similarly. A significant decrease in TC and TG was observed only in those altered baseline subjects. Conclusions: Eight weeks of combined physical exercise had a favorable effect on insulin resistance in this group of women.

Respuestas metabólicas inducidas por ejercicio físico de alta intensidad en mujeres sedentarias con glicemia basal alterada e hipercolesterolemia / Metabolic response to high intensity exercise training in sedentary hyperglycemic and hypercholesterolemic women

Background: High intensity training could be an effective way of improving health on individuals at high metabolic risk. Aim: To investigate the effects of a high intensity training intervention on metabolic-related markers in sedentary women at high metabolic risk. Material and Methods: Forty six sedentary women with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m² were assigned to four groups, according to their metabolic profile; hyperglycemia (H, n = 12), hyperglycemia/hypercholesterolemia (HH, n = 13), normoglycemia (N, n = 10) and normoglycemia/hypercholesterolemia (NH, n = 11). For 12 weeks and five days per week, subjects performed seven intervals of high intensity training (20 to 30 seconds) during a training session of 20 minutes. Anthropometric (body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference) and metabolic variables (glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and TG) were measured at baseline, at 6 and 12 weeks of intervention. Results: BMI and waist circumference decreased significantly after 12 weeks of intervention. Similarly, glucose decreased significantly after 12 weeks of intervention in all groups. The reduction was of higher magnitude in those groups with hyperglycemia (H = -16%, HH = -22%, N = -7,5%, NH = -9,6%). However, lipid profile (TG, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL) improved significantly only in the hypercholesterolemic groups. Conclusions: Physical activity programs incorporating high intensity training can improve glucose and lipid profile in women with metabolic disorders. Moreover, this benefit is greatest in those individuals with highest metabolic burden.