Fitness, fatness and waist: distinct effects of different exercise exposures in overweight and obese subjects - preliminary findings from the GO-ACTIWE randomized trial

Abstract

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and fatness, in particular abdominal, are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease and mortality and are improved by exercise. However, the extent to which different exercise exposures improve these factors is not clear. The aim was to compare the effect of active commuting with leisure time exercise on CRF and total and abdominal obesity. We performed a 6-month randomized controlled trial including overweight and obese (BMI: 25-35kg/m2) sedentary subjects. Interventions included active commuting (BIKE) or leisure time exercise of either 50% (MOD) or 70% of VO2max (VIG) and sedentary controls (CON). In total 299 subjects were screened, 188 were included and 130 were randomized in the study. Here we present preliminary data after 3 months intervention (BIKE n=18, MOD n=24, VIG n=20, CON n=11). Maximal oxygen uptake increased in all intervention groups (BIKE: 0.35±0.09 L O2/min; MOD: 0.19±0.06 L O2/min; VIG: 0.28±0.07 L O2/min, P<0.01 for all), and adjusted for changes in weight BIKE (4.5±1.0 mL O2/min/kg, P<0.001) and VIG (3.6±0.8 mL O2/min/kg, P<0.001) increased CRF. Furthermore, total body fat (BIKE: -2.4 ±0.9 kg, P<0.01; VIG: -2.1±0.5 kg, P<0.001) and waist circumference (BIKE: -3.9±1.7 cm, P=0.05; VIG: -3.1±1.2, P=0.02) decreased in BIKE and VIG. These preliminary data suggest that markers of CRF as well as total and abdominal obesity are improved after active commuting and vigorous but not moderate intensity leisure time exercise.