Does current body mass affect the effect of movement intervention in overweight or obese women?

Abstract

Overweight or obesity is a growing problem worldwide. The cause of the increase in overweight and obesity in the current population is energy intake, which does not adjust to expenditure. Regular physical activity is a crucial tool for influencing overweight and obesity. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of physical intervention in women who differ in body mass – BM. The study was performed in 32 women with normal BM (mean age = 42.3 ± 2.4 years; BM = 65.3 ± 3.1 kg; height = 168.1 ± 3.0 cm; % body fat BF = 23.9 ± 2.2 %, BMI = 23.1 ± 1.6 kg · m−2, VO2peak = 32,2 ± 3,1 ml · kg−1 · min−1), 29 overweight (42.0 ± 2.9; 77.9 ± 3.1; 167.1 ± 4.0; 28.9 ± 2.2, 27.9 ± 2.0, 27.2 ± 2.9) and 28 obese (43.0 ± 3.0; 91.4 ± 4.6; 167.3 ± 3.2; 37.1 ± 3.4, 32.6 ± 2.1, 21.1 ± 3.2). Weekly energy intervention content ranged from 1391 ± 210 kcal · kg−1 and in relative terms per kg body weight 21.3 ± 3.2 kcal · kg−1 in women with normal BM to 2030 ± 330 kcal 23.5 ± 3.8 kcal · kg−1 in obese . The decrease in % BF ranged from 15.6 ± 2.8 % in obese to 16.4 ± 3.4 % in normal baseline BM, VO2peak increased from 7.6 ± 1.9 % in normal BM to 8.1 ± 1.5 % in overweight. The absolute changes in adiposity and aerobic fitness due to forced intervention were significant and statistically significant. Conversely, the differences in percentages before the intervention values are not significant. We can conclude that an exercise program with similar energy content, form and intensity causes similar changes in adiposity and functional performance in women, differing in BM.