Effects Of Resistance Training On Body Composition In Obese Youth: Systematic Review And Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Resistance training may serve as an alternative intervention modality to address body composition in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity (OWOB). Several studies have been conducted to date, yet it is unclear what the overall impact of resistance training (RT) interventions is on measures of body composition (BC) in this population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effects of RT-exclusive interventions, compared to alternative exercise modalities (e.g., aerobic exercise, combined exercise) on BC in youth with OWOB. METHODS: In September 2021, Web of Science, EMBASE, Ebscohost, PubMed/Medline, OVID, and Science Direct were systematically searched using keyword and controlled vocabulary terms to identify studies examining RT in OWOB pediatric populations (≤18 yrs). Markers of BC (e.g., % body fat, lean body mass, waist circumference) were extracted from full-text articles meeting a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria. Fixed effects difference in means and 95% confidence intervals (95CI) were calculated. RESULTS: 2229 titles/abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers from 3307 records, resulting in 17 RT studies in the final sample. Percent body fat (%BF) decreased by 2.02% (95%CI = 1.70, 2.34) for RT, 2.455% (95CI = 2.100, 2.810) with aerobic training (AT), and 1.893% (95CI = 1.529, 2.258) with combined training (CT). Skeletal muscle mass increased by 0.822 kg (95%CI = 0.702, 0.943) with RT and 1.122 kg (95CI = 0.938, 1.306) with CT, but did not significantly increase with AT (0.289 kg, 95CI = 0.255, 0.833). Waist circumference decreased by 1.578 cm (95CI = 1.191, 1.965) with RT, 3.186 cm (95CI = 2.798, 3.574) with AT, and 1.630 cm (95CI = 1.240, 2.019) with CT. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis provides insight into the effectiveness of RT-exclusive interventions on BC of children and adolescents with OWOB. RT, when performed exclusively and when combined with AT, has a positive effect on BC in children and adolescents with OWOB and should be furthered examined to evaluate its feasibility characteristics and metabolic risk factors.