ReviewDiabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy2026
Effect of FATmax-Intensity Exercise on Body Composition and Cardiovascular Health in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Abstract
Purpose: To determine the effects of exercising at maximal fat oxidation (FATmax) intensity on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolism outcomes in overweight and obese individuals through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and the Cochrane Library. Search terms included FATmax or maximal fat oxidation, obesity or overweight, BMI, [Formula: see text], diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane guidelines and the quality of evidence using GRADE. A random-effects model (Stata 16.0) calculated pooled mean differences for outcomes. Results: 18 RCTs were finally analysed. Compared to non-exercising controls, FATmax-intensity exercise improved (i) body composition, including reduced body weight (WMD = -4.43 kg, 95% CI: -5.11, -3.75), fat mass (WMD = -3.68 kg, 95% CI: -4.31, -3.06), waist circumference (WMD = -4.36 cm, 95% CI: -6.73, -1.99), and waist-to-hip ratio (WMD=-0.04, 95% CI: -0.05, -0.03); (ii) cardiorespiratory fitness, evidenced by increased [Formula: see text] (WMD = 3.89 mL/(kg·min), 95% CI: 3.04, 4.74), reduced SBP (WMD = -1.73 mmHg, 95% CI: -6.60, 3.15) and DBP (WMD = -2.10 mmHg, 95% CI: -3.70, -0.49); (iii) metabolism outcomes, such as reduced TG (SMD = -0.80, 95% CI: -1.24, -0.36), TC (SMD = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.72, -0.02), LDL-C (SMD = -0.44, 95% CI:-0.78, -0.10), increased (HDL-C) (SMD = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.64, 1.30) and improved HOMA-IR (SMD = -0.81, 95% CI: -1.44, -0.18). Subgroup analyses suggested that age, sex, and intervention characteristics (eg, duration and frequency) moderated these outcomes to varying degrees. Conclusions: FATmax-intensity exercise confers beneficial effects on body composition, glucose and lipid metabolism, and cardiorespiratory fitness in populations with overweight and obesity. Despite outcome-specific variations and methodological heterogeneity warranting cautious interpretation, FATmax training represents a promising, individualized strategy for cardiometabolic health management.
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