Effects of Nonperiodized and Linear Periodized Combined Training on Health-Related Physical Fitness in Adults With Obesity

A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Streb, AR, Passos da Silva, R, Leonel, LdS, Possamai, LT, Gerage da Silva, AM, Turnes, T, and Del Duca, GF. Effects of nonperiodized and linear periodized combined training on health-related physical fitness in adults with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2020—The aim of this randomized controlled trial study was to compare the effects of 16 weeks of linear periodized and nonperiodized combined training (CT) on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and body composition indicators of adults with obesity. Thirty-four obese adults of both sexes (36.6 ± 4.4 years; body mass index, 32.9 ± 2.7 kg·m⁻²) were divided into nonperiodized (NG; n = 8), linear periodized (PG; n = 11), and control (CG; n = 15) groups. The NG and PG groups performed 3 weekly sessions of CT over 16 weeks in different ways. Anthropometric measures, maximal strength for leg press and barbell bench press, maximal oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O₂max), and ventilatory thresholds were determined before and after the intervention. The generalized estimation equation was used, adopting the level of significance for the interaction of 0.10, and 0.05 for the isolated effect of time or group or both. Significant and similar increases were observed in the 1-repetition maximum test for bench press (NG: 48.8 ± 5.7 to 55.0 ± 6.1 kg; PG: 48.7 ± 5.7 to 53.8 ± 5.9 kg; p = 0.001) and leg press (NG: 235.2 ± 18.7 to 268.3 ± 19.7 kg; PG: 223.1 ± 25.3 to 253.3 ± 23.1 kg; p = 0.05) in trained groups. Relative V[Combining Dot Above]O₂max improved only in PG (27.8 ± 1.3 to 32.0 ± 1.4 mL·kg·min⁻¹; p = 0.05), whereas ventilatory thresholds improved in NG and CG (p = 0.004 and p = 0.06). There was an increase in body mass in CG (97.6 ± 3.4 to 99.1 ± 2.9 kg) and NG (92.5 ± 5.4 to 93.5 ± 5.4 kg; p = 0.05). Combined training improved maximal upper- and lower-body strength regardless of periodization. However, for improvements in V[Combining Dot Above]O₂max, linear periodization may be superior than nonperiodization in obese adults.