Determining the effect size of aerobic exercise training on the standard lipid profile in sedentary adults with three or more metabolic syndrome factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Abstract
Objectives To estimate the change in the standard lipid profile (SLP) of adults diagnosed with ≥3 metabolic syndrome (MetS) factors following aerobic exercise training (AET); and to investigate whether study/intervention covariates are associated with this change. Design Systematic review with univariate meta-analysis and meta-regression. Data sources English language searches of online databases from inception until July 2020. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: (1) Published randomised controlled human trials with study population ≥10 per group; (2) sedentary adults with ≥3 MetS factors but otherwise free of chronic disease, not pregnant/lactating; (3) AET-only intervention with duration ≥12 weeks; and (4) reporting pre-post intervention SLP outcomes. Results Various univariate meta-analyses pooled 48 data sets of 2990 participants. Aerobic exercise training significantly ( P Conclusion Aerobic exercise training positively changes the SLP of sedentary and otherwise healthy adults with ≥3 MetS factors. Adjusting AET intervention training variables may increase the effects of AET on triglycerides and HDL-C. Prospero registration number CRD42020151925.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Previous works were not systematic or included non-randomized trials, and limited pooled data analyses have been previously published.
“Previous works were not systematic [14] or included non-randomized trials [13, 15]; limited pooled data analyses have been previously published [16, 17].”
From The Effect of Exercise Training on Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [16]
Aerobic exercise training positively affects dyslipidaemia and Metabolic Syndrome and lowers cardiovascular disease risk.
“Aerobic exercise training (AET) positively affects dyslipidaemia and MetS [17–20] and lowers CVD risk [21, 22].”
Cites
Outlier and influence diagnostics for meta-analysis
Viechtbauer, W., & Cheung, M. W.-L. (2010) · Research Synthesis Methods · doi:10.1002/jrsm.11 · Cited by 2,949 · see citing works
IntHout, J., Ioannidis, J. P., & Borm, G. F. (2014) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-14-25 · Cited by 2,419 · see citing works
Medication Adherence: WHO Cares?
Brown, M. T., & Bussell, J. K. (2011) · Mayo Clinic Proceedings · doi:10.4065/mcp.2010.0575 · Cited by 1,928 · see citing works
Effects of the amount and intensity of exercise on plasma lipoproteins
Kraus, W. E., Houmard, J. A., Duscha, B. D., Knetzger, K. J., Wharton, M. B., McCartney, J. S., Bales, C. W., Henes, S., Samsa, G. P., Otvos, J. D., et al. (2002) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa020194 · Cited by 1,554 · see citing works
Bruckert, E., Hayem, G., Dejager, S., Yau, C., & Bégaud, B. (2005) · Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy · doi:10.1007/s10557-005-5686-z · Cited by 1,226 · see citing works
Physical Activity and Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Events: Potential Mediating Mechanisms
Mora, S., Cook, N., Buring, J. E., Ridker, P. M., & Lee, I.-M. (2007) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/circulationaha.107.729939 · Cited by 1,000 · see citing works
Exercise for overweight or obesity
Shaw, K. A., Gennat, H. C., O'Rourke, P., & Del Mar, C. (2006) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003817.pub3 · Cited by 950 · see citing works
Position statement on physical activity and exercise intensity terminology.
Norton, K., Norton, L., & Sadgrove, D. (2010) · Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport · doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2009.09.008 · Cited by 804 · see citing works
Mega, J. L., Stitziel, N. O., Smith, J. G., Chasman, D. I., Caulfield, M. J., Devlin, J. J., Nordio, F., Hyde, C. L., Cannon, C. P., Sacks, F. M., et al. (2015) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61730-x · Cited by 704 · see citing works
Stefanick, M. L., Mackey, S., Sheehan, M., Ellsworth, N., Haskell, W. L., & Wood, P. D. (1998) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm199807023390103 · Cited by 629 · see citing works
Blood Lipid and Lipoprotein Adaptations to Exercise: A Quantitative Analysis
Durstine, J. L., Grandjean, P. W., Davis, P. G., Ferguson, M. A., Alderson, N. L., & DuBose, K. D. (2001) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.2165/00007256-200131150-00002 · Cited by 588 · see citing works
Smart, N. A., Waldron, M., Ismail, H., Giallauria, F., Vigorito, C., Cornelissen, V., & Dieberg, G. (2015) · International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare · doi:10.1097/xeb.0000000000000020 · Cited by 499 · see citing works
Self-citationSmall studies: strengths and limitations
Hackshaw, A. (2008) · European Respiratory Journal · doi:10.1183/09031936.00136408 · Cited by 496 · see citing works
Wedell-Neergaard, A.-S., Lang Lehrskov, L., Christensen, R. H., Legaard, G. E., Dorph, E., Larsen, M. K., Launbo, N., Fagerlind, S. R., Seide, S. K., Nymand, S., et al. (2019) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.12.007 · Cited by 403 · see citing works
Effects of Exercise on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes
Chudyk, A., & Petrella, R. J. (2011) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc10-1881 · Cited by 331 · see citing works
O'Donovan, G., Owen, A., Bird, S. R., Kearney, E. M., Nevill, A. M., Jones, D. W., & Woolf-May, K. (2005) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01310.2004 · Cited by 276 · see citing works
Meta-analysis: Neither quick nor easy
Berman, N. G., & Parker, R. A. (2002) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-2-10 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Barter, P. J., Brandrup-Wognsen, G., Palmer, M. K., & Nicholls, S. J. (2010) · Journal of Lipid Research · doi:10.1194/jlr.p002816 · Cited by 259 · see citing works
Tambalis, K., Panagiotakos, D. B., Kavouras, S. A., & Sidossis, L. S. (2009) · Angiology · doi:10.1177/0003319708324927 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Su, L., Fu, J., Sun, S., Zhao, G., Cheng, W., Dou, C., & Quan, M. (2019) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210644 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
De Nardi, A. T., Tolves, T., Lenzi, T. L., Signori, L. U., & Silva, A. M. V. D. (2018) · Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2017.12.017 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Aerobic exercise and the lipid profile in type 1 diabetic men: a randomized controlled trial
LAAKSONEN, D. E., ATALAY, M., NISKANEN, L. K., MUSTONEN, J., &NA;, C. K., LAKKA, T. A., & UUSITUPA, M. I. J. (2000) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1097/00005768-200009000-00003 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Aerobic exercise and lipids and lipoproteins in men: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Kelley, G. A., & Kelley, K. S. (2006) · The Journal of Men's Health & Gender · doi:10.1016/j.jmhg.2005.09.003 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Kelley, G. A., Kelley, K. S., Roberts, S., & Haskell, W. (2012) · Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2011.11.011 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Thompson, D., Markovitch, D., Betts, J. A., Mazzatti, D., Turner, J., & Tyrrell, R. M. (2010) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00822.2009 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Greene, N. P., Martin, S. E., & Crouse, S. F. (2012) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2012.65 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
HIIT is not superior to MICT in altering blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Wood, G., Murrell, A., van der Touw, T., & Smart, N. (2019) · BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine · doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000647 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Self-citationEffects of endurance training on serum lipids
Fikenzer, K., Fikenzer, S., Laufs, U., & Werner, C. (2018) · Vascular Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.vph.2017.11.005 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Dai, X., Zhai, L., Chen, Q., Miller, J. D., Lu, L., Hsue, C., Liu, L., Yuan, X., Wei, W., Ma, X., et al. (2019) · Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews · doi:10.1002/dmrr.3143 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Effect of Exercise Training on Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Smart, N. A., Downes, D., van der Touw, T., Hada, S., Dieberg, G., Pearson, M. J., Wolden, M., King, N., & Goodman, S. P. J. (2025) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02115-z · Cited by 100 · see citing works
“Previous works were not systematic [14] or included non-randomized trials [13, 15]; limited pooled data analyses have been previously published [16, 17].”
Self-citationWood, G., Taylor, E., Ng, V., Murrell, A., Patil, A., van der Touw, T., Wolden, M., Andronicos, N., & Smart, N. A. (2023) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-023-01817-0 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Aerobic exercise training (AET) positively affects dyslipidaemia and MetS [17–20] and lowers CVD risk [21, 22].”
BackgroundResultSelf-citationSwift, D. L., Ross, L. M., Laddu, D. R., Conroy, M. B., German, C. A., Evangelista, L. S., Marvel, F. A., Jerome, G. J., on behalf the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, et al. (2026) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0000000000001441 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wood, G., Taylor, E., Ng, V., Murrell, A., Patil, A., van der Touw, T., Sigal, R., Wolden, M., & Smart, N.
- Affiliations
- Curtin University (AU)
- University of New England (AU)
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England School of Science and Technology, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
- University of Calgary (CA)
- University of Jamestown (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wood, Gina
- ORCID
- Venue
- British Journal of Sports Medicine
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2021-06-30
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 18
- Pages
- 1032-1041
- ISSN
- 0306-3674 (ISSN-L)
- 1473-0480
- OpenAlex
- W3176330904
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 0.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- aerobic exercise training, metabolic syndrome, lipid profile, sedentary adults, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, exercise intensity, exercise volume, cardiovascular risk
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
