SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2025
Effects of exercise interventions on metabolic and hepatic function markers in overweight or obese patients with MASLD: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exercise as a Molecular Therapeutic Tool in MASLD: From Signaling Pathways to Clinical Translation-A Narrative Review.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Macrophages in MASLD: from inflammatory and metabolic crosstalk to exercise intervention.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition strongly associated with overweight or obesity, often accompanied by dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and elevated liver enzymes. Exercise is recommended as a first-line lifestyle intervention, but evidence on the effects of different modalities, frequencies, and durations on metabolic and hepatic markers remains inconsistent. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify overall effects and compare intervention strategies.
objectiveTo evaluate the effects of exercise interventions on metabolic and hepatic function markers in overweight or obese patients with MASLD.
methodsA systematic search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted from inception to March 15, 2025, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of exercise on metabolic and hepatic function markers in overweight or obese patients with MASLD. Backward citation tracking and manual searches were additionally performed to capture eligible studies through April 2025. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.4 and Stata version 16.
resultsA total of 23 articles comprising 26 trials with 1,012 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed that exercise interventions significantly reduced total cholesterol (SMD = - 0.22, P = 0.004), triglycerides (SMD = - 0.27, P = 0.044) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = - 0.22, P = 0.005), while significantly increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = 0.24, P = 0.001). For liver function markers, exercise markedly improved alanine aminotransferase (SMD = - 0.40, P = 0.024), whereas the reductions in aspartate aminotransferase (SMD = - 0.29, P = 0.087) and γ-glutamyl transferase (SMD = - 0.29, P = 0.217) did not reach statistical significance. Regarding glucose metabolism, exercise significantly improved homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SMD = - 0.35, P = 0.001), fasting glucose (SMD = - 0.15, P = 0.039) and insulin (SMD = - 0.19, P = 0.038). Subgroup analyses indicated that interventions with a frequency of three sessions per week, moderate duration (8-12 weeks), and combined training modalities yielded greater improvements in triglycerides and alanine aminotransferase.
conclusionExercise interventions exert beneficial effects on lipid profiles, liver function, and glucose metabolism in overweight or obese patients with MASLD, with combined training performed at a moderate frequency over an 8-12-week period may show a more consistent pattern of improvement.
trial registrationThe study protocol has been prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, ID: CRD420251051095.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.