Effect of Weight Loss on Aerobic Capacity in Patients with Severe Obesity Before and After Bariatric Surgery

• Published in: Obesity surgery 2010-07, Vol.20 (7), p.871-875
• Main Authors: de Souza, Shirley Aparecida Fabris, Faintuch, Joel, Sant’Anna, Antonio Fernando
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Bariatric Surgery - adverse effects; Body Mass Index; Clinical Report; Exercise Test - methods; Exercise Tolerance; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastrointestinal surgery; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - physiopathology; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Physical fitness; Postoperative Period; Preoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Surgery; Surgical outcomes; Treatment Outcome; Weight control; Weight Loss
• ISSN: 0960-8923; 1708-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s11695-010-0109-z

Severe obesity has been associated with adverse effects on physical capacity. In a prospective study, the aerobic capacity of severely obese patients was measured in order to observe the physiological response to weight loss from bariatric surgery. Sixty-five consecutive patients (40.4 ± 8.4 years old; 93.8% female; body mass index = 49.4 ± 5.4 kg/m 2 ) were evaluated before bariatric surgery and then 6 and 12 months after surgery. Aerobic capacity was assessed with a scientific treadmill to measure maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ), heart rate, blood pressure, time on the treadmill, and distance walked (modified Bruce test). For the three observational periods, VO 2max was 25.4 ± 9.3, 29.8 ± 8.1, and 36.7 ± 8.3 ml/kg/min; time on the treadmill was 5.4 ± 1.4, 6.4 ± 1.6, and 8.8 ± 1.0 min; and distance walked was 401.8 ± 139.1, 513.4 ± 159.9, and 690.5 ± 76.2 m. For these variables, significant results ( p  = 0.0000) were observed for the two postoperative periods in relation to the preoperative period. Severely obese individuals increased their aerobic capacity after successful bariatric surgery. The data also suggests that a positive and progressive relationship between weight loss and improvement in fitness as a moderate loss of weight 6 months after surgery already showed some benefit and an additional reduction in weight was associated with a better performance in the aerobic capacity tests at the 12-month follow-up.