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Effects of different exercise interventions on body composition in women with overweight and obesity: a systematic
Shiwei Song1,2, Yincheng Wei2, Haoze Zhang2
1School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the effects of different types of exercise on body composition in women with overweight or obesity and to compare the relative effectiveness of these interventions using a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Design:
Systematic review and network meta-analysis using the CINeMA (Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis) approach.
Data Sources:
PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SportsDiscus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus were searched through September 2025.
Eligibility Criteria For Selecting Studies:
We included randomised controlled trials enrolling adult women with overweight or obesity that evaluated structured exercise interventions, including aerobic exercise, resistance training, aerobic exercise with resistance training, high-intensity interval training or whole-body vibration training. Eligible studies compared these interventions with control conditions or other exercise modalities and reported at least one body composition outcome, including body fat percentage, body mass index, fat mass, lean body mass or waist circumference.
Data Extraction And Synthesis:
Two independent reviewers used standardised methods to search, screen and code included studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration and Evidence Project tools. Network meta-analysis was conducted using random effects models. Confidence in the estimates was assessed using the CINeMA approach.
Results:
43 randomised controlled trials involving 2315 women were included. For body fat percentage, aerobic exercise with resistance training, high-intensity interval training and aerobic exercise across varying intensities were associated with greater reductions relative to control conditions, with vigorous aerobic exercise showing the highest probability of benefit. A similar pattern was observed for other adiposity-related outcomes: vigorous aerobic exercise appeared most favourable for body mass index, high-intensity interval training for fat mass and moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise for waist circumference. No intervention was associated with statistically significant improvements in lean body mass compared with control; however, resistance training demonstrated a comparatively favourable ranking profile.
Conclusions:
Structured exercise confers meaningful improvements in adiposity among women, particularly with aerobic-based modalities, whereas effects on lean mass remain limited. These results underscore the importance of tailored exercise strategies for optimising body composition in female populations.
Prospero Registration Number:
CRD420251161064.
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