Effects of different training protocols on physiological indicators and cardiovascular risk factors of sedentary adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Huan Feng, Yanjin Li, Zhengwei Xie, Yubo Wang, Xiaojun Wang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis

In one paragraph

Synthesis in Endocrine, 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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0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Huan FengSchool of Physical Education, Sichuan University, Wangjiang Campus, No. 24 South First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.

Yanjin LiSchool of Physical Education, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, Jiangxi Province, China.

Zhengwei XieSchool of Physical Education, Sichuan University, Wangjiang Campus, No. 24 South First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.

Yubo WangSchool of Physical Education, Sichuan University, Wangjiang Campus, No. 24 South First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.

Xiaojun WangSchool of Physical Education, Sichuan University, Wangjiang Campus, No. 24 South First Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China. wangxiaojun@scu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSedentary behavior has become a common way of life in modern society, and is correlated with many chronic diseases. Exercise intervention is regarded as an effective measure to reduce the negative effects of sedentary behavior, however, comprehensive network meta-analyses comparing the relative effectiveness of different exercise programs on cardiovascular and metabolic indicators in sedentary adults are lacking.

objectiveThe regulatory effects of different exercise programs on physiological indicators such as blood glucose, blood lipid, and blood pressure in sedentary adults were analyzed through network meta-analysis to provide a basis for optimizing exercise programs.

methodsThis study systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials on sedentary adults published up to November 14, 2024. The risk of bias was evaluated using ROB2.0, and network meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 18.0 and R 4.2.2 software. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as the effect size, and different exercise programs were ranked by SUCRA.

results47 studies were included in this study, involving 2,355 research subjects. In terms of regulating blood pressure, combined exercises (aerobic combined with strength training (AT + ST) and aerobic combined with resistance training (AT + RT)) were significantly superior to the single exercise program, especially in decreasing both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Pilates exercise (PT) ranked first (79.6%) in improving systolic blood pressure. As for blood lipids, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) reduced total cholesterol the most (83.4%). AT + ST had a significant advantage (86.7%) in increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and Tai Chi ranked first (80.4%) in improving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Regarding blood glucose metabolism, PT and functional training (FT) showed the best effects in improving glucose levels (85.2% and 83.8%), Tai Chi performed outstandingly in improving glycated hemoglobin (93.9%), and AT + RT had a significant effect in regulating insulin levels (94.7%). 85% of the studies were evaluated as having a low bias risk, and the funnel plot showed no significant publication bias.

conclusionsThe regulatory effects of different exercise programs on metabolic indicators in sedentary adults vary. The combined exercise programs have a significant effect in improving blood pressure and blood lipids, and HIIT is more effective in regulating blood glucose. Based on these findings, individualized demands and target health indicators should be considered when formulating exercise intervention programs for sedentary adults.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesExerciseExercise TherapyHeart Disease Risk FactorsSedentary BehaviorAdultBlood GlucoseBlood PressureHumansLipidsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResistance TrainingBlood GlucoseLipidsAdultBlood pressureExercise therapyNetwork Meta-AnalysisRandomized controlled trialSedentary behavior

Identifiers

PMID41489683

DOI10.1001/jama.2018.3024

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

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Registered trials

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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.