The Effect of Eight Weeks of Aerobic Training and Probiotic Supplementation on Body Composition, Insulin Resistance and Glycosylated Hemoglobin in Inactive Obese Women

Background and Objectives Obesity is a multifactorial disease including genetics, lifestyle and gut dysbiosis. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of eight weeks of aerobic training and probiotic supplementation on body composition, insulin resistance and glycosylated hemoglobin in inactive obese women. Subjects and Methods In this semi-experimental research, 32 middle-aged women with first-degree obesity were selected by purposive sampling and randomly divided into four groups: Exercise, Supplement, Combination, and Control. The exercise intervention consisted of eight weeks of moderate-intensity rhythmic aerobic training (60-75% of heart rate reserve) on three days of the week. The supplement and combination groups took 2 capsules of Familact probiotics from Bio Ferment Company daily, and the training and control groups received a placebo. Results A significant decrease was observed in insulin resistance, weight, and body fat percentage in the intervention groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, the reduction of insulin resistance in both training and combination groups was significantly higher than in the supplement group (P < 0.05). The reduction of HbA1C in the combined group was significant compared to the other groups (P<0.05). Also, the reduction in body fat percentage was significantly higher in the combined group than in the supplement group (P<0.001). Conclusion Both exercise and the use of probiotics have positive effects on the body composition and metabolism in obese women, and the use of both methods has better effects.