2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 267-271

Resistance exercise improves body composition in overweight and obese people: an umbrella review

Dai Xinyu1, Yan Jihong2, Hua Lingjun3, Zheng Xiaohong1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Resistance exercise increases muscle mass and improves muscle strength, but there is a lack of conclusive evidence on its effects on body composition. Controversial results from randomized controlled trials and multiple Meta-analyses pose a problem for clinical decisions on exercise interventions.
OBJECTIVE: Based on the methodological paradigm of umbrella review, to explore the efficacy and safety of resistance exercise in improving the body composition of overweight and obese people.
METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI for systematic reviews on the effect of resistance exercise in overweight and obese people published from database inception to August 31, 2022. Chinese search terms included “anti-resistance, resistance, self-weight, Meta, Meta-analysis, body composition, body fat percentage, fat mass, lean body mass, body mass.” English search terms included “resistance training, strength training, weight-lifting strengthening program, body composition, body fat distribution, Meta-analysis, data pooling, overviews, clinical trial, clinical trial overviews.” PRISMA was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, and a GRADE evaluation system was used to grade the quality of evidence.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 14 Meta-analyses were included, and GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed that 2 outcome indicators were intermediate, 12 were low, and 14 were extremely low. Compared with the control group, 23 of the 32 outcome measures showed significant improvement. The intervention effect of resistance exercise on body fat percentage has reached a consensus, but the intervention effects on lean body mass, body mass index and visceral fat still need further confirmation. Resistance exercise is an effective and safe method to improve the body composition of overweight and obese people. The overall quality of the research and the evidence quality of the outcome indicators included in the systematic evaluation are generally low. In the future, the initial state, exercise goal and willingness of the subjects should be fully combined on the basis of clarifying the sample characteristics and refining the scheme design. Through multiple, scientific and personalized exercise prescription designs of water, air and elastic resistance, the safety and compliance of resistance exercise can be improved, providing clear evidence-based support and decision-making basis for resistance exercise intervention.

Key words: resistance training, body fat percentage, body composition, overweight and obese people, umbrella review, overview of systematic reviews