Effects of an exercise intervention in overweight or obese children

Resumen

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a physical exercise intervention on anthropometric, biochemical, and cardiorespiratory fitness parameters in overweight and obese children. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 45 schoolchildren aged 8–11 years from public schools in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Participants were allocated into a control group (n = 22) and two intervention groups: court-based (n = 11) and pool-based (n=12). The 21-week program included three weekly 60-minute sessions of aerobic, recreational, and game-based activities. Outcomes included body mass, body mass index, waist circumference, skinfolds, physical activity and sedentary behavior (accelerometers), VO2max (Shuttle Run), and biochemical markers (cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, glucose, leptin, adiponectin). Analyses were performed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group × time) (p < 0.05). Results: The sample was mostly female (55.1%) with a mean age of 9.1 ± 1.0 years. No significant between-group differences were found for anthropometric, biochemical, or fitness outcomes (p > 0.05). The court-based group showed reductions in waist circumference and leptin, while both intervention groups showed reductions in triceps skinfold thickness, although these changes were not statistically significant. No significant group × time interaction effects were observed for physical activity or sedentary behavior variables. Conclusions: Short-term exercise-only interventions did not produce significant changes in the studied parameters. Future studies should investigate whether different intervention structures, durations, and complementary components may lead to different results in childhood obesity management.