SynthesisAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2022
High Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is Associated with Higher Physical Fitness in Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Health Outcomes in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review.Nutrition reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative effect of different types of physical exercise and intensity levels on low birth weight: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.Women's health (London, England)Pooled it
- Correlation Between theEpidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Plant-Based Diet Indices and Depression in University Students: The Nuts4Brain-Z Study.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Mediterranean Diet Adherence Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Association between adherence to Saudi healthy plate dietary guidelines and physical activity, muscular endurance, and body composition among adult gym users.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Mediterranean diet and Cantonese cuisine for human health: report from a Sino-Italian bilateral meeting.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Review
- The Role of Recreational Physical Activity in Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in the Greek Population: Public Health and Sustainability Implications.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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- Associations Between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Incident Sarcopenia in Prospective Cohort Studies.Nutrients · 2025Review
- The Power of Movement: Linking Physical Activity with Nutritional Health and Blood Sugar Balance in a Dalmatian Type 2 Diabetic Population.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Why Is the Association Between Mediterranean Diet and Physical Performance in Athletes Inconclusive? Implications for Future Studies.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Review
- Association Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Triglyceride Glucose-Body Mass Index with Iron Deficiency in Reproductive Age Women: Evidence from NHANES 2005-2018.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
- Long-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and eating behaviour of the Italian population: a longitudinal study.Endocrine · 2024Article
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- Recreational Physical Activity and the Mediterranean Diet: Their Effects on Obesity-Related Body Image Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorders.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Spanish University Students: Association with Lifestyle Habits and Mental Well-Being.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Polyphenols in Cereals: State of the Art of Available Information and Its Potential Use in Epidemiological Studies.Nutrients · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Although prior research has synthesized the relationships between the Mediterranean diet (MD) and components of physical fitness (PF) in adults, they are limited and inconclusive. This study aimed to synthesize the associations between high (compared with low) MD adherence and PF levels with each of its components (cardiorespiratory, motor, and musculoskeletal) in adulthood. We conducted a systematic search in 5 databases from inception to January 2022. Observational studies and randomized controlled trials were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and effect sizes (Cohen d index) with their 95% CIs were calculated via a random effects model. A total of 30 studies were included (19 cross-sectional in young, middle-aged, and older adults; 10 prospective cohort in older adults; and 1 randomized controlled trial in young adults) involving 36,807 individuals (mean age range: 20.9-86.3 y). Pooled effect sizes showed a significant cross-sectional association between higher MD adherence scores (as a continuous variable) and overall PF (d = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.75; I2 = 91.0%, n = 6). The pooled ORs from cross-sectional data showed that high adherence to MD was associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness (OR: 2.26; 95% CI: 2.06, 2.47; I2 = 0%, n = 4), musculoskeletal fitness (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.47; I2 = 61.4%, n = 13), and overall PF (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.68; I2 = 83.2%, n = 17) than low adherence to MD (reference category: 1). Pooled ORs from prospective cohort studies (3- to 12-y follow-up) showed that high adherence to MD was associated with higher musculoskeletal fitness (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.38; I2 = 0%, n = 4) and overall PF (OR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.26; I2 = 9.7%, n = 7) than low adherence to MD (reference category: 1). Conversely, no significant association was observed between MD and motor fitness. High adherence to MD was associated with higher PF levels, a crucial marker of health status throughout adulthood. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022308259.
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