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The addition of exercise to a weight loss diet on inflammatory markers: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials

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This systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials was performed to evaluate the effects of weight-loss diets plus exercise compared with weight-loss diets alone on inflammatory biomarkers in adults. PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science (ISI), and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2021. Overall effects were derived using a random effects model. The overall quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Twenty-nine trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed no significant difference in serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) [weighted mean difference (WMD) = −0.004 mg/l, 95% CI: −0.140, 0.132, P = 0.954], interleukin-6 (IL-6) (WMD = −0.039 pg/ml, 95% CI: −0.233 to 0.156, P = 0.696), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (WMD = 0.405 ng/ml, 95% CI: −1.036 to 0.226, P = 0.209) after adding exercise to a weight-loss diet compared with a weight-loss diet alone. Subgroup analysis revealed that exercise plus a weight-loss diet significantly reduced TNF-α in studies greater than 16 weeks in duration (WMD = −0.742 ng/ml, 95% CI: −1.384 to −0.1, P = 0.024). This systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that exercise in addition to a weight-loss diet does not have a significant effect on further reducing inflammatory markers compared to a weight loss diet alone.

Keywords: Adults; CRP; IL-6; TNF- α; aerobic; diet; exercise; inflammation; inflammatory markers; meta-analysis; resistance; systematic review; weight-loss

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran 2: Yazd Cardiovascular Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran 3: Faculty of Pure & Applied Science, School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada 4: Department of Physical Education Studies, Faculty of Education, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada 5: Centre for Health and Exercise Science Research, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

Publication date: July 26, 2023

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