The Effect of Exercise Interventions on Lean Body Mass: A Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14553414Keywords:
Lean body , Mass Longevity , Sarcopenia , HIITAbstract
This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the direct effects of exercise on lean body mass (LBM), based solely on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The findings indicated that exercise led to a small increase in LBM; however, this effect was not statistically significant. The study was carried out on seven studies published between 2020 and 2024, all of which included exercise interventions. Various types of exercise (resistance, aerobic, HIIT, etc.) and their combinations were implemented in these studies. Participants ranged in age from 14 to 66 years and included both sexes. According to the results of the meta-analysis, no heterogeneity was detected among the studies; therefore, a fixed-effects model was applied. The mean effect size was calculated as 0.04, and since the confidence interval included zero, the effect of exercise on LBM was deemed insignificant. The results revealed that factors such as health status, age, gender, dietary habits, as well as the type, duration, and intensity of exercise, may change the direction and magnitude of this effect. Furthermore, the quality of the studies published and the potential publication bias among the individual studies included in the meta-analysis are also believed to impact the average effect sizeReferences
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