Effect of long-term physical exercise program and/or diet on metabolic syndrome in obese boys

There have been just a few studies examining the influence of detraining on obese boys. They conclude that any gains regress to the untrained control values during the detraining period.

The objective of the present study was thus to evaluate the effects of detraining (6 months) on metabolic syndrome after two types of intervention (both 31 months), one of an exercise program alone and the other of a diet-plus-exercise program, in obese boys.

The participants were 18 sedentary boys (8- 11 years old) with a body mass index equal or greater than the 97th percentile for the age and sex (male) of the subject, without any dysfunction or metabolic problem. The participants were divided into two groups - the E group (physical exercise program) and the E+D group (physical exercise program plus a low calorie diet). Metabolic parameters were evaluated (TC, HDL, LDL, TG, glucose, insulin, Systolic Blood Pressure, and Diastolic Blood Pressure), allowing the metabolic syndrome index to be calculated.

Changes were observed in LDL-C (effect sizes = -3.19 and -2.28) and in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (effect sizes = -3.02 and -1.16) in the E and E+D groups, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and obesity was completely removed only in the E group (100% norisk and non-obese subjects - < 90th percentile).

Detraining from a long-term exercise program (with or without diet) seems not to negatively affect the cardiovascular profile, suggesting that the program provides benefits and fosters healthy habits that can be maintained over time, preventing the development of metabolic syndrome.