Effects of eight weeks of exercise training and orlistat therapy on body composition and maximal exercise capacity in obese females

• Published in: Public health (London) 2006, Vol.120 (1), p.76-82
• Main Authors: Ozcelik, O., Dogan, H., Kelestimur, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerobic exercise; Anaerobic Threshold; Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Body Composition - drug effects; Body Composition - physiology; Exercise; Female; Humans; Lactones - therapeutic use; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - therapy; Orlistat; Treatment Outcome; Turkey; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 0033-3506; 1476-5616
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2005.05.010

A comparative assessment was made of the short-term effects of orlistat therapy and exercise training on body composition and aerobic fitness in obese females. A total of 24 obese patients were enrolled in to the study; 12 received orlistat therapy (DO) and 12 participated in a regular aerobic exercise-training programme (DE). All patients were on hypocaloric diets. Each patient performed three incremental ramp exercise tests (one at Week 0, one at the end of Week 4 and one at the end of Week 8) to exhaustion using an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer to determine their anaerobic threshold and maximal exercise ( W max) capacity. Patients in the DE group performed continuous exercise at a work rate that corresponded to the anaerobic threshold. Weight loss and loss of fat mass after 8 weeks were −6.4% ( P=0.002) and −13.4% (DE) vs −5.8% ( P=0.002) and −6.4% ( P=0.008) (DO), respectively. W max capacity was 90.8±5 W (basal) vs 92.9±5 W (Week 4, P=0.1) and 100.4±6 W (Week 8, 10.5%, P=0.04) in the DO group, and 96.2±6 W (basal) vs 129.1±4 W (Week 4, 34.1%, P=0.002) and 137.5±5 W (Week 8, 42.9%, P=0.002) in the DE group. Despite similar decreases in body weight in both groups, patients in the DE group achieved a markedly higher level of W max, reflecting a better improvement in cardiopulmonary fitness, compared with patients in the DO group. Considering the improvement of aerobic fitness in the short term, an aerobic exercise-training programme should be considered for sedentary obese patients to improve their aerobic fitness and thereby reduce the negative outcomes of obesity.