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Physiology and Biochemistry

Effects of various exercise types on inflammatory response in individuals with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

International Journal of Obesity volume 49, pages 214–225 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To explore effective exercise types for reducing chronic inflammation in individuals with overweight and obesity (IOO) while accounting for confounders.

Methods

A systematic search for RCTs in English between January 2000 and August 2023 was conducted to evaluating exercise effects on inflammatory biomarkers in IOO. A network meta-analysis conducted.

Results

A total of 123 RCTs were analyzed. Different exercise type yielded distinct effects on various inflammatory biomarkers. Specifically, aerobic exercise combined with resistance training (COM) and aerobic exercise (AE) were the most effective for improving leptin levels. AE exhibited the greatest effectiveness in reducing CRP and increasing adiponectin. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) was identified as the most effective exercise modality for ameliorating IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10. Resistance training (RT) had the least effect compared to other exercise types. Meta regression and subgroup analyses revealed that high-intensity AE demonstrated a greater effect size compared to moderate-intensity AE. The impact of AE on IL-10 was positively associated with both the training period and the age of participants. Positive correlations were observed between reductions in body fat and the effect sizes of CRP, TNF-α, and IL-10. Gender influenced AE effects on IL-6 and TNF-α, with females responding better.

Conclusion

This study highlights the potential of exercise in alleviating the inflammatory status in IOO, with different exercise types showing various effects on specific inflammatory biomarkers. The intensity and duration of exercise had a dose-response relationship with intervention effectiveness. Changes in body composition correlated with the effectiveness of the intervention. COM, AE, and HIIT are recommended exercise approaches.

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Fig. 1: PRISMA flow diagram depicting the study selection process.
Fig. 2: Network plot presenting the effects of different exercise type on inflammatory biomarkers in IOO.
Fig. 3: Area under the curve for cumulative ranking probability of each intervention.
Fig. 4: Meta-regression of the influence of various regressors in the AE groups on the effect size.
Fig. 5: The difference of intervention effect of aerobic exercise with different intensity.
Fig. 6: The difference of intervention effect of aerobic exercise with different intensity within the same period.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Chaofan Chen, Dong Zhang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China

    Chaofan Chen, Yanwei You, Yiling Song & Xiaoke Chen

  2. Institute of Sports Artificial Intelligence, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, 100084, Beijing, China

    Dong Zhang

  3. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Mingyi Ye

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Contributions

This systematic review and network meta-analysis was designed by CFC and XKC. CFC and DZ conducted literature searches and selected articles for inclusion. YLS extracted data checked the extracted data. YWY contributed to data curation and analysis. CFC and DZ wrote the manuscript. XKC revised the manuscript, and YE polished the language. All author read and approved the final version. XKC responsible for supervision, review and editing, project administration, funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Xiaoke Chen.

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Chen, C., Zhang, D., Ye, M. et al. Effects of various exercise types on inflammatory response in individuals with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Obes 49, 214–225 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01649-6

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