Resistance Training and Protein Supplementation Increase Strength After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Vol. 26; no. 11; pp. 1709 - 1720
• Main Authors: Oppert, Jean‐Michel, Bellicha, Alice, Roda, Celina, Bouillot, Jean‐Luc, Torcivia, Adriana, Clement, Karine, Poitou, Christine, Ciangura, Cecile
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-11-2018; Wiley
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Body composition; Diabetic retinopathy; Exercise; Fitness training programs; Food and Nutrition; Gastrointestinal surgery; Human health and pathology; Life Sciences; Mortality; Obesity; Physical fitness; Protein synthesis; Proteins; Quality of life; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Sports training; Strength training; Systematic review; Tissues and Organs; Weight control; Womens health; France
• ISSN: 1930-7381; 1930-739X
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.22317

Objective
Physical activity and dietary regimens to optimize health outcomes after bariatric surgery are not well known. This study aimed to determine whether resistance training with dietary protein supplementation is effective in maintaining body composition and physical fitness after obesity surgery.
Methods
Seventy‐six women with obesity undergoing Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass were randomly assigned at the time of surgery to receive either usual care (controls [CON], n = 22), usual care and additional (whey) protein intake (PRO, n = 31), or usual care, additional protein intake, and supervised strength training for 18 weeks (PRO+EX, n = 23). The primary outcome was pre‐ to 6‐month postsurgery change in lean body mass (by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry). Secondary outcomes included changes in muscle strength (by one‐repetition maximum testing).
Results
Loss over time in lean body mass did not differ between groups (CON: mean,−8.8 kg; 95% CI: −10.1 to −7.5 kg; PRO: mean, −8.2 kg; 95% CI: −9.3 to −7.1 kg; PRO+EX: mean, −7.7 kg; 95% CI: −9.0 to −6.5 kg; P = 0.899). The increase in relative lower‐limb muscle strength was higher in the PRO+EX group (+0.6 [0.3 to 0.8]) versus +0.1 (−0.1 to 0.4) and +0.2 (0.0 to 0.4) kg/kg body mass in CON and PRO groups, respectively (P = 0.021).
Conclusions
Loss in muscle strength observed after bariatric surgery can be overcome by resistance training with additional protein intake.