A comparison of the impact of exercise training with dietary intervention versus dietary intervention alone on insulin resistance and glucose regulation in individual with overweight or obesity: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Obesity is associated with the development of insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes for which exercise training (Ex) and dietary interventions (DI) are effective interventions that can improve IR. We therefore performed a systematic meta-analysis to compare the effect of Ex + DI compared with DI on IR and glucose homeostasis.

Methods

PubMed and Cochrane Library were conducted up to May 2021. Meta-analyses were conducted to compare the effect of Ex + DI compared with DI on fasting glucose and insulin, IR and body weight. Standardized mean differences (SMDs), weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed using random or fixed effect models.

Results

Fifty studies involving 2864 participants with overweight or obesity were included in the meta-analysis. Ex + DI caused a larger decrease in fasting glucose (p = 0.001, 62 trials) and IR (p = 0.01, 29 trials) when compared with DI alone. There was no significant evidence, however, for a greater effect of Ex + DI on fasting insulin (p = 0.07, 48 trials) and body weight (p = 0.12, 58 trials), compared with DI alone.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that a combination of Ex and DI may be more effective than DI alone at improving IR and fasting glucose in individuals with overweight and obesity.

Keywords:

• Exercise training
• lifestyle intervention
• weight loss
• insulin resistance
• obesity

Authors’ contributions

M. Kh., H. R., M. H. S., and M. E. S. carried out the screenings and reviews. M. Kh and K. A. analyzed the article. M. Kh., H. R., and K. A. drafted the manuscript. M. E. S. and M. Kh revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.