Resistance training does not contribute to improving the metabolic profile after a 6-month weight loss program in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.

Context: Limited data are available regarding the impact of caloric restriction (CR) in combination with resistance training (RT) on the metabolic profile of postmenopausal women.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether RT adds to CR in improving body composition and the metabolic profile.

Design And Setting: This was a 6-month, randomized, clinical trial.

Patients: Patients included 107 postmenopausal women (body mass index >27 kg/m(2)).

Intervention: The intervention was a 6-month CR alone or in combination with a RT program.

Main Outcome Measures: Fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), abdominal sc fat and visceral fat, fasting lipids, insulin sensitivity, resting blood pressure, and inflammation markers were measured.

Results: Both groups were similar at baseline and significantly decreased body weight, body mass index, FM, percent FM, abdominal sc fat, and visceral fat after the study (P < 0.001), with greater losses of percent FM and trunk FM in the CR + RT group (P < 0.05). LMB significantly decreased in the CR (-0.9 +/- 2.4 kg) and the CR+RT (-0.4 +/- 2.2 kg) groups (P < 0.005), with no difference between them. Both groups significantly improved plasma triglycerides, fasting insulin level, glucose disposal, and markers of the inflammation profile after weight loss (P < 0.05), with no difference between groups. No improvements were observed for the other variables of interest in both groups.

Conclusions: CR+RT was associated with greater losses in percent FM and trunk FM compared with CR alone. However, CR+RT was not associated with additional improvements in the metabolic profile compared with CR alone.