Mechanisms
Three months of water-based exercise moved body weight in obese older men but left CETP activity and blood lipids unchanged (Diabetes Metab Syndr 2021)
Original title: Effects of two water-based exercise programs on body weight and blood lipid parameters in elderly obese males with a sedentary lifestyle
Sixty-two sedentary older men seeking weight-loss advice in Iran were randomised to three months of either continuous moderate-to-vigorous aquatic training or high-intensity interval aquatic training, three sessions a week, without dietary intervention. Body weight, BMI, CETP activity and blood lipid parameters were measured before and after. No significant within- or between-group differences emerged in CETP activity or lipid parameters, though the continuous-training group showed small but significant reductions in body weight (0.6 kg) and BMI (0.4 kg/m2). The authors conclude that, absent dietary change, water-based exercise alone did not measurably improve atherogenic lipid features or CETP activity in this population, though continuous training modestly affected body weight.
Original abstract
Background And Aims: The consequences of exercise on atherogenic features are inconsistent. This study was aimed to examine the impacts of two water-based exercise programs (interval vs. continuous) without dietary intervention on body weight and blood lipid parameters, and its potential interactive effects and the activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in obese older men with a sedentary lifestyle.
Methods: Sixty-two sedentary older men, who came to consult on weight loss to the Helal Ferdows Sports Complex, Iran, in 2018, volunteered for participation in this quasi-experimental study. Participants derived from a convenience sample were assigned at random into two aquatic exercise programs: Continuous training (CT) with moderate to vigorous-intensity and interval training (IT) with high-intensity. Both programs continued three months, three times a week, for 60-min each time. Comparing groups and times (pre- and post-intervention) was carried out using the Wilcoxon Nonparametric Test. The following assessments were completed pre- and post-intervention: body weight, body mass index (BMI), CETP activity, and blood lipid parameters.
Results: No significant differences were observed when comparing the variables investigated within and between the groups' pre- and post-intervention (P ˃ 0.05), except for body weight and BMI in the CT after the intervention (respectively, 0.6 kg, P = 0.04; 0.4 kg m-2, P = 0.03).
Conclusions: Both water-based exercise programs, without interference in nutrition, do not reveal a significant improvement in atherogenic features. The CT program detected modest but significant influences on body weight and BMI of obese older men with a sedentary lifestyle.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 18 August 2026. Methods.