Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Blood Lipids in People with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Zhuying Chen, Runyu Zhou, Xiaojie Liu, Jingqi Wang, Leiyuyang Wang, Yuanyuan Lv, Laikang Yu
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) on triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in people with overweight or obesity. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science, covering data up to 27 October 2023. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. AE significantly improved blood lipids in people with overweight or obesity (TG: SMD = −0.54; p < 0.00001; TC: SMD = −0.24; p = 0.003; HDL: SMD = 0.33; p = 0.003; LDL: SMD = −0.42; p = 0.0005). Both moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity AE demonstrated significant impacts in reducing TC, TG, and LDL, whereas only moderate-intensity exercise significantly elevated HDL. Additionally, AE significantly optimized blood lipids in those with overweight, with TG being the only parameter showing improvement in individuals with obesity. Moreover, continuous AE notably improved HDL and TG, while interval AE significantly reduced TG, TC, and LDL. Lastly, a clear positive correlation emerged between the duration of the intervention and the decrease in LDL, and a distinct negative correlation was observed between session duration and the reduction of LDL.