Resistance Training in Patients With Morbid Obesity

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease is expected to rise along with the global obesity epidemic. MetS is a cluster of clinical risk factors, including abdominal (visceral) obesity, hypertension, elevated serum triglycerides, low serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and hyperglycaemia.The MetS for example, significantly decreases the life expectancy of individuals with morbid obesity and increases the disease burden and economic costs associated with healthcare. In this sense, more recently, there was reported that body mass index (BMI) and fat distribution showed higher associations with inflammation, fat indices, and more prevalence of MetS in morbidly obese subjects, claiming for an early prevention of the MetS in the morbid obese state. Exercise training has proven to be effective in inducing a clinically significant weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk. Exercise have reported to be associated with increased muscle mass, decreased body fat, and improved metabolic profile (i.e., improved glucose control and lipid levels). In addition, supervised RT improved muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. However, although RT has been widely studied in obesity, there is little information in the morbid obesity. On the other hand, there is poor knowledge similarly, about the interindividual variability to exercise training in terms of responders and non-responders (NR). Thus, considering the poor knowledge about the MetS prevention in morbid obese patients, as well as the little information about Responders and Non-Responders for improving MetS outcomes, the aim of this study will be determine the effects of a RT program on cardio-metabolic outcomes of MetS in patients with morbid obesity. A second aim will be report the prevalence of non-responders in terms of the effects of resistance training on MetS markers and other health-related variables.