Impact of Physical Activity and Dietary Programme on Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Saudi Women (original) (raw)

2019, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

This study explores the impact of lifestyle factors on the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Saudi Arabian women. The efficacy of reducing energy intake, with or without increased PA, on risk factors associated with MS in overweight Saudi women was investigated in a pilot study. After a four-week programme, incorporating dietary modification alone (D) or in combination with regular vigorous aerobic exercise (D+E), improvements were seen in body composition and a range of metabolic risk factors. Both groups lost weight, but, paradoxically, those in D lost significantly more than those in D+E (5.3 vs. 3.3%, p=0.016). Moreover, significant reductions were also found in blood pressure, plasma triacylglycerol, insulin, total and LDL cholesterol, with no significant differences between the two groups. Plasma glucose and HDL cholesterol remained unaltered. Overall, these changes led to a decline in prevalence of MS from 20% to 5% and 21% to 7% for the D and D+E groups, respectively. Thus, reducing energy intake appears, at least in the short term, more important than increasing PA in reducing body weight and associated metabolic risk factors. This study confirms that excessive dietary intake and physical inactivity both contribute to overweight/obesity and MS in Saudi Arabian women. With appropriate support, it is possible to both reduce energy intake and increase PA, although, in the short-term, the former appears to be most important. It remains to be established whether longer term improvements in PA would further improve metabolic health.