Water-based training in combined with vitamin D supplementation improves lipid profile in children with ASD

•A number of studies have been implicated that the lipid profiles in ASD populations differ from the general population ones.•40 children with ASD were randomized to aquatic programs, vitamin D supplementation, the combination, and control groups.•The results showed that children exposed to the aquatic and combined programs experienced a significant reduction in metabolic indices and BMI and WHR.•After 10-week vitamin D supplementation, an increase in 25 OHD levels was associated with lower serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C in ASD.•In the current study, there was no significant impact on BMI and WHR. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of aquatic exercise training, vitamin D supplementation, and their combination on the lipid profile of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We recruited 40 children with ASD (aged 6–14) and assigned them to the aquatic exercise (n = 10), supplementation (n = 10), aquatic exercise + supplementation (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups. Participants in the aquatic exercise group performed water-based activities for 10 weeks (two 60-min sessions per week), those of the supplementation group received orally 50,000 IU vitamin D3/ week, the combined group received exercise + supplementation, and the control group underwent no intervention. We assessed the participants’ serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip ratio (WHR) at the baseline and the end of the 10 weeks. Results revealed that all three Interventional approaches improved lipid profile; whereas interestingly, only aquatic and combined interventions significantly influenced BMI and WHR. We concluded that both aquatic exercise and vitamin D supplementation could lead to significant improvement in lipid profile in children with ASD.